


Love Stories ain't reality

by Sammys_Girl



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Loss, Shameless Smut, Trauma, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:21:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 51,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27454177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sammys_Girl/pseuds/Sammys_Girl
Summary: Geralt and Yennefer meet for the first time as she patches up Jaskier who got hurt because he couldn't keep his eyes to himself. What ensues is a love story that starts full of romance and passion but soon faces the burdens of real relationships.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg
Comments: 36
Kudos: 52





	1. Prologue

Had she been a bitch sometimes? Sure. Had she started fights because she felt like it? Guilty as charged. Had she also flirted with a cute waiter or barista from time to time to show him that he shouldn’t get too comfortable with her and put in a little more effort? Also, yes.

But never – NEVER – had she even entertained so much as the idea of committing a deed so cruel and loathsome that it shook the earth and shattered every belief she had ever had. Screaming and screeching had long left her and so she sat in her tub, mascara drying on her cheeks from her earlier crying fit with a wine bottle in hand. Surrounded by the remnants of smashed décor and framed photos she was eerily calm and stared at the white tiles on the wall, thinking back to try and locate the point where everything had started to go wrong.


	2. CHAPTER ONE: first meeting

‘This was a stupid idea; this was such a stupid fucking idea!’ This mantra played over and over in his head as he floored the gas, taking turns with screeching tires and ignoring the angry shouts and horns of the other drivers.

“Jask, talk to me. How’re ya doing back there?”

He tried to half turn back to the backseat where his currently very bloody and messy looking best friend was sitting. “Hmpf”, was all he got back. Said best friend was pressing a similarly bloody towel to his face while trying very hard not to pass out. ‘You’ve known him for god knows how long. How could you not see that the sentence do you want to do something fun today would end in total mayhem and likely the E.R.?’ He mentally kicked himself while taking the last turn to the hospital.

“Welcome, how can I help you to----ooh!”

The nurse on duty dropped her service face and went straight to business when she saw the ghostly pale man try to climb out of his backseat.

“What happened to him?”, she asked while ushering Jaskier to sit down in a wheelchair she seemed to have procured out of thin air.

“Sport accident”, came Geralt’s short reply. “Hit his head pretty hard and he is talking nonsense” ‘Not that this would be a symptom out of the ordinary for him’ he silently added. “Also, his nose won’t stop bleeding”.

“Yes, I can see that. I’ll ping the doctor on duty to take a look at you sweetheart”, the nurse said, then added:” you can wait for your boyfriend right here, love. The doctor will come talk to you later”.

“He’s not my-“, Geralt started to explain but they were already gone behind a set of glass doors.

‘Great! Another Saturday afternoon spent waiting for this idiot who must have been gone skydiving when god distributed self-preservation instinct’. With nothing else do, Geralt plopped down on one of the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting area and sent out a few texts to update Jaskier’s sister and the very terrified aerobics instructor that had called the ambulance when Jaskier had slipped and faceplanted into the big mirror.   
That damn skirt chaser couldn’t keep his eyes to himself for 5 minutes. They hadn’t even made it through the warm-up before Jaskier had lost balance over his body in favour of gawking at the busty blonde girl to his right. If Geralt was honest to himself, though, he was kind of glad he didn’t have to go through with the full 60 minutes of complete embarrassment titled ‘Aerobics workout’ which Jaskier had booked to enjoy the afternoon with some lovely, bendy ladies in tight leggings.

‘Serves him right’ Geralt thought while smirking to himself. The time ticked by and he started getting antsy. The chairs had turned into concrete judging by the lack of feeling in his right butt cheek and he knew all the information posters on the walls by heart. As he read ‘On fire down there? Better see your doctor’ for the hundredth time (and cringed for the hundredth time) a white- clad figure suddenly came into view.

“Are you the boyfriend to that young man with the broken nose?”

“I’m not the – “, Geralt started again but all words left him when he looked up and into the face of the doctor standing before him.   
Tall and gorgeous, her pale face framed by black curls that wrapped around her shoulder down to her left breast in a thick, silky braid. Her inquisitive eyes a brilliant shade of blue so dark they appeared almost violet. Her lips curled upward in a way that told him he must be looking pretty stupid, sentence only half out of his mouth, staring at her with his own lips hanging open. His breathing only seemed to cloud his mind further with the smell of her perfume. An enticing mix of something flowery and fresh.

“Hm, I mean. I’m not the boyfriend. Just a friend. The one that happened to be around when his accident happened so I drove him here”, he managed to say while reigning his face back into what he hoped would be a cool, non-chalant expression.

She smiled and made a note on the clipboard she was holding, then turned those damned eyes back at him. “Ok then, not-the-boyfriend. Mr. Pankratz has a broken nose which I set so he needs to be careful with that for a few weeks. I also stitched the cut over his brow and had him checked for any signs of a concussion but so far, he seems alright. Just make sure to come back immediately should he show any signs of disorientation, fainting or vomiting. Got it?”

“Got it.”

He had himself back under control now and had changed into his Mister Charming Mode. With his broad shoulders, the bright green eyes and the scar that donned the left side of his face he usually had easy game with the ladies. He knew he radiated danger and excitement and somehow managed to make every woman melt and giggle.

Not this one though, it seemed.

“Great. Please sign here then and take this brochure on early detection of STIs as you seemed so very intrigued by that poster over there”.

He hadn’t even had time to blush as she shoved the papers in his hands and turned on her heel to deal with her next patient. After she had already vanished around the corner her lab coat swinging behind her he was still standing there, dumbstruck clutching a variety of brochures on chlamydia, HIV and whatnot, staring at the spot she had just stood in.

^^^^^^^

She barely made it into the next supply room before closing her eyes, leaning against the door and allowing herself a long and loud sigh from deep within. Gods, how could one man be so sexy? When she first had seen him waiting, staring at the walls he had instantly caught her attention. Brown curls, begging her to run her hands through, a 5 o’clock shadow emphasising his strong jaw and a big scar that stretched from above his left eye all the way down to his cheek, giving him an air of adventure and excitement.   
After treating that poor bastard with the broken nose and a severe case of blown ego she had been informed by the nurse that it was Mr. Handsome who had come in with him. ‘Of frickin’ course’, she had thought. ‘Of course, he’s gay!’   
So, she had gone over to inform him about aftercare and the paperwork when the first thing out of his mouth had been that he, in fact, was not the boyfriend. Additionally, he had very obviously stared at her before finishing that sentence so she was fairly certain that he had liked what he had seen.

It didn’t matter now anyways; she had blown it. She had blown it with that gods awful STI joke because she wanted to be clever and cunning but instead had completely embarrassed herself and him. She banged her head against the wall behind her.

“No use crying over spilt milk”, she said to herself. She took a deep breath, pressed the cold metal of a kidney basin from the shelf next to her to her flushed skin and exited the room.

^^^^^^^

He still couldn’t believe it. She had absolutely made him speechless, stuttering around with his mouth hanging open like a seventh grader. She had-

“So, are you gonna drive me home or are we waiting for something?”

“Alright, alright. Please put your seatbelt on. Wouldn’t want you to strain your neck in a turn, now, would we?”

He laughed at Jaskier’s feigned offense and drove off to get his best friend home and himself in a cold shower.

^^^^^^^

It was Wednesday and she still hadn’t heard anything from that guy that was in the waiting room last Saturday. She hadn’t been able to get him out of her mind and had woken every night panting heavily with fleeting scenes from dreams that made her face blush and her pelvic clench every time she thought back.   
She couldn’t believe he hadn’t even texted her! After he had revealed that he was just a friend and not the boyfriend she had chanced her luck and scribbled her number on one of the brochures she had pressed into his hands before leaving. At that time, it had seemed smooth and clever but now she just wanted to kick herself for it.   
Those brochures most likely had been thrown in the bins right outside the E.R. without a second glance and even if not, who in their right mind would text a doctor that first embarrassed them in a waiting room and then snuck them their number on a herpes information sheet?   
  
Exactly. Nobody.   
  
She looked at the time on her phone and with a grown tossed it to the side and turned in her bed. It was her day off so she might as well get some sleep. ‘Yeah, right. Sleep.’ She thought while she conjured bright green eyes before her inner eye and willed her hands on her belly to be big, rough hands that would bring her pleasure in a dark room between spare blankets and the first aid kits.   
  
^^^^^^^^   
  
“Yes, yes, goddamn it!”, he swore as he kicked his apartment door shut behind him, dropping the groceries on the kitchen counter while struggling with his boots in the hallway in an attempt at not getting the mud and rainwater everywhere. He stormed over to the phone on the table next to his TV but as soon as he picked it up the caller had apparently given up trying. He shoved the thing back onto the table, effectively knocking over the mountain of unopened mail next to it, scattering it over the floor.   
“Fan-fucking-tastic!” He threw his hands up in exasperation as he looked around his apartment. The shoes he had gotten off but his coat was dripping on the carpet. Used plates and dirty pots piled high in the kitchen and the overflowing laundry basket was staring at him. He hated chores but normally he kept them in check. It figured that today of all days, everything came together: he had had a shit day at work, a rainstorm had surprised him on his way home, traffic had been awful and his apartment was a mess.   
He would have loved to have taken his sour mood out on whoever tried to call him but since he hadn’t been quick enough and the number was a private one, he stuck to swearing loudly to himself.   
  
Having kicked an empty pizza carton across the room had been relieving and he now felt he had the headspace to get shit done and then finally treat himself to some TV. After drying the carpet and cleaning the kitchen he flopped down on his couch to tackle the mail he had previously sent flying to the floor. Since it was mostly advertising, he went through the pile quickly, tossing leaflets and free newspapers in the trash.   
Just as he reached the bottom and was about to throw the last ones away his gaze fell to a bunch of leaflets titled ‘So you have been diagnosed with an STI – what now?’ He snorted inelegantly and crumbled it up in his fist when his mind went back to that Saturday last week when he had gotten them. More precisely, who had given them to him. He laughed as he recalled the situation. Him staring at that beautiful doctor, getting lost in her piercing eyes while she had simply assumed his interest in the poster came from the fact that he had an STI!   
  
Why must fate have been so cruel to have him look at that poster instead of the flu vaccination one? He had made a complete idiot of himself not being able to at least fire a smart comment back at her. He shook his head and sighed, vowing that the next time Jaskier was in need of medical attention he would either need to take an Uber or go to another hospital if Geralt had any say in it. He sorted through the leaflets to find the paper she had given him with Jaskier’s medical info as something caught his eye. There, on the top of one of them, someone had scribbled something. He brought it closer and couldn’t believe his eyes. ‘Call me, not-the-boyfriend. Yennefer’ and a number had been written there. He outright grinned now, his foul mood gone and replaced by pride and a tingling of excitement at the prospect that he might get a chance at a do-over of that awful first meeting.   
  
^^^^^^   
  
_Tell me, Yennefer, do you always give your number to strangers along with a herpes info leaflet?_   
  
The vibration of her phone startled her from her thoughts. It was a number she didn’t know but the content of the message didn’t leave any room for interpretation. Gods, how she wanted to go back in time and just write her number on a piece of paper like a normal person!   
  
_No, only to the really good-looking ones_ 😊   
  
Jesus, a smiley face? How old was she? Groaning she ran a hand through her hair and watched the three bubbles on her screen which indicated that he was typing. When the bubbles disappeared but no new message came in, she quickly typed another message.   
  
_Seriously though, could we forget that ever happened and pretend I wrote it on a sticky note?_  
  
 _Alright. But only if the first round is on you._   
  
Confused at that she shot back:   
  
_First round of what?_  
  
 _Drinks. Which we will get after the dinner I am taking you to tomorrow evening._  
  
She couldn’t believe the audacity of this man! What a presumptuous ass!   
  
_What makes you think I’d go to dinner with you?_  
  
 _The fact you wouldn’t have given a stranger in the waiting room your number if you didn’t want anything to do with them._   
  
Shit. He had a point there.   
  
_Alright, I suppose you might be right with that. Pick me up at 8 at the hospital?_  
  
 _You got it. Good night, Yennefer. See you tomorrow._   
  
She smiled dumbly at her phone and couldn’t believe what had just happened. This was exactly what she had wanted to achieve but he had somehow managed to turn this into his idea. Unbelievable. Then, a thought struck her.   
  
_Wait! I never asked your name!_  
  
5 Minutes ticked by, then 10. When she hadn’t gotten an answer an hour later, she decided to call it a night and just go with it. She would learn his name sooner or later anyway and the mysterious guy he was playing just added to her excitement.   
  
^^^^^^^   
  
He let out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding. How was texting so stressful? But he had gotten her where he wanted. She had readily agreed to a date with him and he felt his pulse go straight to his groin when he thought about having that beautiful woman all to himself for an evening. Grinning, he texted Jaskier to cancel the plans they had made for the next day.


	3. CHAPTER TWO: First Date Complications

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains smut - if you want to skip it stop reading after "And there was no more talking after that".
> 
> If not, enjoy ;-)

She found it hard to concentrate all day. Her thoughts kept straying to the date she would be going on tonight and if her choice of dress had been the right one. She refused to acknowledge just how nervous she was and even as she rifled through the gym bag that held three alternative outfits for the seventh time today, she willed herself to just be cool. It wasn’t her first date ever and it surely wouldn’t be her last, so why were her nerves so on edge? 

Her phone vibrated and she ripped it out of her pocket. There hadn’t been a single text since last night and while there wasn’t anything specific to talk about it was unnerving that he hadn’t even texted to confirm their date or anything. He also hadn’t answered her question and so she was definitely going on a date with a man whose name she didn’t even knew. She quickly unlocked it just to find the source of the notification to be a spam e-mail. She huffed and was about to stuff it back into her pocket when the tell-tale ding announced a new text message. 

_Thinking about me?_

Yennefer gawked at the message. Was he somehow reading her mind? He wasn’t wrong but she wouldn’t tell him that of course. Two could play that game.

_I’m sorry who is this?_

_How you wound me, Yennefer! Because all I can think about since last night is our dinner today._

She grinned. He was likely just on edge as she was. 

_Ah, Mr. not-the-boyfriend. I’d apologise but since you haven’t told me your name, I couldn’t save your number._

_The name’s Geralt._

Geralt. She tried his name on her lips and found it rolled off her tongue nicely. 

_Well, I’ll see you later, then, Geralt._

Yennefer had of course saved his number instantly, just under another nickname; one she would never tell him of. 

^^^^^^

Time seemed to stretch like old gum, the tic tac of the clock coming in a rhythm so slowly it was driving him mad. His foot never ceased tapping and he found himself to be equally irritable and in such a good mood he wanted to punch himself in the face.   
The latter appeared to be a sentiment his co-workers shared as he gained lots of confused and annoyed looks during the day. When 5pm finally rolled around he stood from his desk like a coiled spring finally released and raced to his car. He had things to do.  
By 7pm he had made it home without starting a fight with every driver in front of him going less than 10 over the speed limit, showered, changed his shirt thrice and cleaned his apartment (just in case). During all of this he had pulled out his phone every two minutes to check if Yennefer hadn’t had a change of heart and cancelled their date. But she hadn’t. 

He scrolled back to their little conversation from earlier and smirked. It had been short but she had managed to make him even more excited for the night. Her little teasing made him look forward to the in-person conversation they would have later even more and he wondered what she would look like outside of a white lab coat and the fluorescent light in the hospital. A quick glance to his watch shook him out of his daydream, he had to get going or he would be late.   
He pulled into a parking spot exactly on time and stared at the entrance, waiting for her to come out. At 10 past he pulled out his phone to check for messages but found none. 

_I’m here, are you ready?_

He fixed his eyes on the screen for three minutes but no answer came. ‘Might have been held up by a patient’, he thought and got more comfortable in his seat.  
Quarter past went by and so had 20 past. He was growing nervous. Had she stood him up?

25 minutes had now ticked by and his mood slowly turned sour. He had contemplated double texting for the last five minutes and had decided he wouldn’t do it as he didn’t want to give the impression he was desperate or anything. By now though, this resolve had crumbled and his fingers quickly flew over the screen.

_Ok, cool. You could have cancelled, you know?_

Two seconds after he had sent the text there was a knock on his window and his jaw dropped. There she was, her locks now free of the braid and softly falling down her back in a chaos that surely was 100% calculated and styled. She wore a shiny black dress which fell in layers at her décolleté like a waterfall and clung to her hips, effectively catching his eyes there for a second. It complimented her pale skin perfectly and he let a grin split his face before he rushed out of the car to open her door. 

“Yennefer, you look lovely!” He let an appreciative glance roam her figure, then snatched her hand and kissed her knuckles lightly. “May I?”, he opened the passenger side door. 

“Oh, thank you”, she let her hand rest on her chest and looked up into his eyes. “You’re not looking so bad yourself” He was glad he had picked the more formal shirt, seeing what she had chosen to wear. 

She sat down and he went around the car when the realisation hit him that he had just sent her a very petty and almost moping text right before she had knocked on his window. ‘Shit!’, he cursed himself. ‘That is going to be awkward.’

“Hey, I just wanted to say I’m so so-“, she started as he had sat down next to her when she suddenly stopped mid-sentence, looking at her phone. “Oh, I see. Well I’ll have you know that I really am sorry I’m late but as you surely have noticed I work in a hospital and people who saw off their fingers while trying to fix their kid’s treehouse don’t exactly stick to date plans.” Yennefer threw him a glance that would surely make a lesser man than him shrink a foot or two. 

Not him though:” And you couldn’t have taken two seconds to shoot a quick text you would be late?”

“No, I could not, as I just said; people who have lost body parts do tend to be quite attention consuming patients”. She huffed and turned her nose up. They sat in silence for a few more seconds, neither wanting to back down. “I guess I’ll get going then, my bus home is coming in a few minutes” She made a move to open the car door when Geralt swallowed his pride and quickly threw an arm over her lap and pulled the door closed again. 

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have given you shit for saving lives.” He let his hand rest on her thigh and noticed that she allowed it. 

“Fine.”, she let out a breath:” I guess I overreacted myself. Let’s just go and hope the table is still free?”

Having let the initial hick-up behind them, the rest of the evening went smoothly. They arrived at the restaurant and got lucky when the waiter told them that their initial table was gone but another reservation had just been cancelled, opening a table in front of a big window with a stunning view of the city lights. 

They made light conversation about this and that, him learning that she had finished med school a year ago and deeply enjoyed the rush at the hospital but loved a relaxing bath with lavender oils and a glass of wine on her nights off. He in turn told her about his summers as a child helping his uncle on his horse farm, tending not only to the animals but also to the old mansion that served as a museum and was just as antique as the pieces on display. After his graduation he had spent some years on the road, travelling different countries and broadening his horizon. 

She seemed to be very interested in his travels, having studied abroad for a semester in college and still corresponded with the friends she had made there.   
The food was delicious and he was enjoying himself very much, deciding he would try to get this evening to the next level.

^^^^^^

Yennefer was trying to catch up with her emotional rollercoaster while sitting in the prettiest restaurant she had ever seen. She glanced up into the sparkling chandelier over their heads as she thought back to this morning, nervously trying to pick an outfit and ending up packing three to decide during her work day, followed by their little text conversation that let her triumph for a short amount of time over her clever retort, all the way until the stressful last minute E.R. patient and their little spat in the car which had thoroughly ruined her mood. However, now that she was sitting here across from this gorgeous man, she was very glad that he had apologised and she had been able to jump over her shadow and accept. She knew she could be hot-headed sometimes but he somehow managed to get her emotions riled up like no one else. She barely knew this guy but the way he got her heart racing excited her for all that was to come.

His curls hung untamed into his eyes that glinted at her, his soft-looking lips nipping at a glass of wine, drawing her gaze towards them. He was wearing dark grey chinos and a white button down that revealed a few hairs on his chest and a small silver chain that disappeared under his collar. She noticed herself staring and forced herself back to the present, noting that he was looking at her expectantly. 

“I’m sorry, what was that?”

He grinned. Shit. He had caught her. 

“I asked if you wanted to share dessert”

She smiled and flagged down the waiter, ordering a chocolate lava cake with two spoons. 

While they finished their dessert, Yennefer found herself rambling about, telling him about her best friend from boarding school, Triss, who had flaming red hair and had kept her head up while she was going through her first break-up and Yennefer in turn had taken her in to keep her in school when she had lost her job and couldn’t afford to pay for tuition and rent at the same time. She was just about to tell him about the one time they had gotten so drunk they ended up crashing in a park just to find out the next morning it had been their front lawn all along when his hand came up to her face and she found herself holding her breath. He ended up wiping a crumble of the chocolate cake from the corner of her mouth but the touch sent her heart rate soaring and she leaned into his touch unintentionally, looking up at him through her lashes. 

“Do you want to get out of here?” she breathed. “Drinks are on me next time, ok?”

He basically sprang from his seat “The bill, please!” earning him a chuckle and a probably very embarrassing blush.

^^^^^^^

His head swam. His brain had trouble catching up with what had happened in the last hours and was still busy with processing what his hands and mouth were currently doing. She tasted like wine and chocolate cake and her perfume dressed him in a haze of lilacs and gooseberries. His right hand set at her back, pressing her to him while his left hand groped at her backside. 

He kissed her passionately, tongues dancing and breath hitching, all thinking seemed to be consumed by the feel of her lips on his. She had tangled her fingers in his hair and as she pulled on it to deepen the kiss he couldn’t hold back a groan.  
She let out a needy sigh when his stubble grazed her neck while he kissed down her throat and her nails scraped on his scalp, sending a wave of electricity down his spine. Her other hand was draped around his neck, pulling him back up into a searing hot kiss that was all lips, tongue, and hot breath. He could feel her breasts pressing against his chest and his mind made the decision that there were way too many layers separating them. His hands slipped to her front and encircled her wrists, pinning them above. She seemed to catch onto his plan and wriggled her hips as he slipped her dress over her head. He groaned as a matching set of black lace lingerie came to view and proceeded to gently knead the flesh below the sheer material, running his thumbs over her nipples. She bit her lip and pressed herself to him harder while simultaneously trying to undo his buttons. 

Geralt’s brain seemed to have finally caught up as he took her by the hips and momentarily removed her from him and pulled his shirt over his head before silencing her protest with his lips and lifting her up to his hips by the back of her thighs. She let out a delighted giggle – he was sure it was one even though she would later vehemently deny this – and wrapped her legs around his back, losing one of her high heels in the process. The loud noise the shoe made upon impact startled them both from their frenzy and she looked down into his eyes, fiery violet meeting molten emerald. “Bedroom?” she asked, grinning down at him, squeezing her legs and grinding down on him. Speech had left him at this point so he just turned on his heel and, mindful of her head, carried her through the doorframe into his bedroom, dropping her on his king-sized bed while silently congratulating himself for having changed the sheets that afternoon. 

“What’s got you grinning like a mad man?”

“Oh nothing, I just can’t believe that the prettiest girl in the world is currently lying in my bed in her underwear”

“Well, better not keep her waiting then”, she smiled seductively, cheeks flushed, her hair a mess, and proceeded to sneak a hand behind her back, unclipping her bra and dropping it to the floor. 

He had never been out of his trousers quicker and pounced on her, eliciting a delighted squeal from her. There was no more talking after that.

^^^^^^^

Yennefer threw her head back and arched off the mattress, pressing into his mouth that was currently busy mapping every inch from her collarbone down to her navel. She felt her muscles twitch under his ministrations, the stubble of his beard eliciting goosebumps along the way. Her hands had sneaked into his hair, pushing him further down.

That earned her a chuckle that vibrated right through her and made her squirm beneath his hands. She was getting impatient but judging by the impression he had made so far, she reckoned that indicating as such would only earn her more delay, so she decided to hold on for the ride and willed herself to relax. That worked out wonderfully as he threw her a glance from below her breasts and, smiling, turned to spend his attentions nibbling at her string, dragging his lips down to her core, only to immediately continue his way down to the inside of her thighs, pressing open mouthed kisses to the sensitive skin there. He took his sweet time torturing her, running his hands up and down her sides, palming her breasts and she was starting to lose patience. If he didn’t get on with it already, she might just spontaneously combust. Just as she was going to voice that sentiment, he shoved his hands under her bottom, pulling her to him, hooking his thumbs under the sides of her underwear and ripping it down her legs. A strangled scream escaped her, half surprise, half relief, but she quickly reigned herself back in, and slung her legs around his body, urging him closer. 

She could feel his breath on the delicate skin between her thigh and her core, sighing softly when she felt two rough fingers sliding up and down her folds, and heard him grunt softly at what she supposed was his surprise at how wet she was. It was no surprise to her though and she smiled to herself, openly moaning when his tongue found her clit and two fingers entered her at the same time. The rhythm of his fingers made her lose all thought and the delightful drag of his tongue let her forget her name. She shamelessly spread her knees wider, giving him better access, and he planted her feet firmly on his shoulders before resuming his torturous pumping. She tried to find purchase with her fingers in the sheets but found herself directing his head, gripping his hair and ignoring his amused huffs, instead urging him on to go harder. She played him like a puppet and it worked wonderfully. She felt her whole body tense and pushed her pelvis up, ready to fall over the edge when he pushed down on her clit with the tip of his tongue and she went rigid before rocking out her orgasm against his face. 

He came up gulping for air but with a facial expression that made her roll her eyes. If she ever saw him again, she would definitely never hear the end of this. Right now, though, she couldn’t find it in her to care and hooked her right foot under his left shoulder, pulled him up and pushed him over. “Your turn”, she whispered in his ear, softly biting his lobe, and smirked when she could feel him shudder. She sneaked her hand down his body, appreciating the ridge of his abs, and followed the small trail of hairs that disappeared under his waistband. Right, he still wore his pants. That would have to be remedied quickly. She took a second to pepper his broad chest with kisses before pushing to her knees and practically ripping the pants down his hips.

“Eager, aren’t we?” He mumbled while eyeing her wantonly.

She couldn’t help but pause a second and take in the view. She palmed his length and enjoyed the feeling of warm, soft skin under her fingers while briefly wondering how something could feel so hard and so soft at the same time. She pressed an open-mouthed kiss to it, softly cupped his balls before crawling up again, dragging her core over his erection and swallowing his moan with a searing kiss. 

He fumbled with his right hand above his head, tapping at the corner of the nightstand, effectively knocking over everything on it. When he had found what he was looking for he sat up, ripping the packaging open with his teeth and she felt the excitement rush through her, making the anticipation almost unbearable.   
She slung her arms around his neck, scooted closer to him so that their chests were touching, and while he snuck a hand between them to angle himself up against her she slowly sunk down, her eyes fluttering shut, her muscles tensing and relaxing in rapid succession. When she finally sat down on his lap she paused, letting them both catch their breath for a second. She could tell by the tension in his jaw that he was struggling to hold on and started to raise up only to sink down again, taking him to the hilt. 

Her breath came in quick huffs now, her thighs trembling and she could feel a bead of sweat running down her spine. His arms were wrapped around her tightly, his hands supporting her movements. Geralt looked up into her eyes as he snapped his hips upwards to meet hers and she felt powerful and utterly admired in that moment, his gaze focussing only on her as if there was nothing else in the world but the touch they shared. She could feel him getting quicker, thrusting deeper and more desperately, and was struggling to keep up. Just as that thought had crossed her mind, his hold around her tightened and she was pulled off him and thrown onto her back, him pushing inside again before she even had the chance to complain about the loss of contact. 

A filthy moan freed itself from her throat as he hit home, wrapping her right leg around his waist and hoisting her left ankle on his shoulder. His thrusts became even quicker and he occasionally lost rhythm so she knew he was close. She grabbed around his jaw, pulling him down for a kiss before wriggling her index finger in front of his mouth. He grinned wolfishly at her before slipping her finger into his mouth, leaving it slick with saliva. She swallowed hard, then proceeded to push her hand down between them, setting a rigorous pace on her clit.

It only took a few more thrusts, accompanied by deep grunts, before he shuddered inside her, that last stroke being the friction she needed to push herself over the edge once more.

He pulled out, getting off the bed to get rid of the condom. Meanwhile, she lay on his bed, looking up at the ceiling and catching her breath. Slowly, reality came back to her and she sighed at the surely awkward conversation that was going to come. She hated this part of hook-ups and it was exactly the reason why she normally stuck to either dinner and conversation or sex. As she contemplated the smoothest way out, he reappeared from what she guessed was the bathroom with an uncertain expression. Yennefer took the initiative and got up, grabbing her clothes on the way to the bathroom with a smile on her face. 

“That was fun”, she said, leaning on the frame while fumbling with her shoes. “Care to call me an Uber? My phone has died, I’m afraid.”

“Oh, uhm. Sure. I –“, he let that sentence hang in the air and started typing on his phone. “I had fun as well. Can I text you sometime?” 

She mentally translated sometime to never. 

“Looking forward to it”, flashing him a smile she turned around and left his apartment to wait for the Uber outside.


	4. CHAPTER THREE: Courting Frustrations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Wednesday, my dudes! As a humpday treat I'm posting the new chapter for you. This kinda went out of bonds and is longer than the chapters before but I couldn't really find a good point to make a cut without losing tension. 
> 
> A tiny bit lemony - more to come in the next chapter.  
> ____  
> Update 12th November: I edited the last few paragraphs and found a typo or two.

Geralt woke up the next day and slung his arm over his eyes. He was tired and could feel the sore muscles in his biceps and backside and grinned as he thought back to the reason for this strain.

The night with Yennefer had been incredible. Such a beautiful face, paired with a sharp mind and that heavenly body of hers would be the death of him – if she ever agreed to go out with him again that was.

His grin vanished from his face though, as his brain woke up completely and supplied the rest from last night, her leaving immediately after with only so much as a ‘I had fun’. He huffed. 

‘Don’t girls normally want to cuddle after sex?’, he thought. Not that Yennefer conformed to the usual stereotypes but Geralt would be lying if he said he wouldn’t have been interested in a little cuddling himself. They hadn’t been too rough with each other but still. 

‘Maybe she thought that I would want to have her gone? What if she hated the sex and didn’t know how to say it? What if it actually was a simple one-night stand for her? Or maybe she just didn’t like cuddling after sex or had to get up early.’ He hated this. Why was this always so difficult? She did seem to be into it, though. She had been eager, the polar opposite of playing starfish. This was getting him nowhere. He needed to see her again. He simply wasn’t ready to let this bombshell of a woman go just yet.

All this thinking about her had woken up little Geralt as well, so he closed his eyes again and thought back to a few hours ago, the smell of her perfume clinging to his sheets making it easy. While he gripped himself tightly and gave it a few, slow strokes he tried to imagine what her lips would feel like around him instead.

-

_So what was sooooo important you cancelled on me last minute yesterday?_

Geralt looked at the text from Jaskier over his giant cup of coffee and had to grin again while typing his reply.

_Might have had a date with that hot doctor who fixed your nose last week_

_I’m picking you up in 20. I want details!_

He didn’t bother with an answer, Jaskier had likely stuffed his phone in his pocket and was already in the car, so he finished his coffee in two big gulps, jumped into the shower and put on some pants. 

When they sat down at Jaskier’s favourite brunch place - Jaskier loved brunch and after a while, Geralt had accepted that there was simply no point in refusing - exactly 35 minutes later over bacon and eggs, Jaskier looked at Geralt expectantly while he was chewing on a piece of toast.

“You look tired, my friend. I am guessing this is a good thing?”

“Hm, went to bed late, true.” He shrugged his shoulder, knowing it would piss Jaskier off.

“Do I really need to pull every detail from you, Geralt? You had a date; you didn’t get a lot of sleep. Hence, sex. Probably loads of it. So: spill.”

Geralt stuffed his face with some scrambled eggs, needing the time to think and sort his thoughts. He wanted to give Jaskier some details and he wanted his opinion on how the date had ended but he also wanted to keep the more compromising details to himself. After all, a gentleman never tells. 

After he had told Jaskier about how he had actually gotten her number and that dinner had been pleasant despite their little texting disaster regarding her tardiness, he finally complied and gave a few insights into the late-night activities they had participated in. When he closed with her sudden depart, Jaskier seemed to have forgotten about the piece of bacon that he held halfway to his mouth in the air.

“Come on, you’re seriously telling me that that woman first makes fun of you, then sneaks you her number, then agrees to go out with you the next week, only to end this date in steaming hot sex, initiated by her and then she gets out of your hair without even expecting to stay the night or you to make her breakfast the next morning? Incredible!”

“Guess I’m a lucky guy”, Geralt answered, not a hundred percent convinced.

“Yeah, you are! I mean, she didn’t blow you but that would have ruined the rest of the mission anyway, am I right?” He grinned suggestively.

“Jesus, Jaskier! Say it louder, the table in the corner hasn’t heard all the details yet!” he hissed. Glancing over to said table whose occupants were staring at them, confirming that they had, in fact, gotten all the details.

“What’s gotten your panties in a twist?”, Jaskier questioned. “You’re usually not shy about these things.”

Geralt swallowed hard, then looked up:” Don’t you think it’s weird that she left directly after? I mean she seemed like she liked the sex. It surely wasn’t so bad she faked it the whole time and went out first chance she got, right?”

“Well, having never slept with you I’m not sure I’m the best judge of that situation.” Jaskier laughed. 

“Jask.”, Geralt snarled. “A little more support here?”

“Alright! I’m sure your performance was at least overall satisfactory.” Jaskier finally put that piece of bacon in his mouth and shrugged:” Man, what do you want me to say here? Have you thought about calling her maybe? If you want to see her again, preferably naked, she oughta know you do, right?  
Besides, the way you described her I would reckon she would’ve just gotten up and left if she didn’t like it. Why pull through when you can just pull out, am I right?” Jaskier grinned at him, waiting for a high five from Geralt with a raised hand, apparently very happy with the pun he just dropped.

Geralt rolled his eyes. “I’m just gonna ignore half of what you just said, but the rest might have had a point. I should just call her. Not today though. Who calls the next day? Clingy people. That’s who.”

“Geralt, you’re rambling.”

“Right. Never mind.” 

They continued eating in companionable silence when Jaskier cleared his throat. “I mean, it is kinda weird she went right out the door. Sure, there are some girls that just prefer it that way but, in my experience, they either loudly proclaim that they need to get up early or they move things to their own place to kick you out straight after.” 

“Told you it was weird.”

“Or maybe she didn’t like your hairy chest”. Geralt threw a piece of toast at him. “Okay, okay. I’m just kidding.” 

“Geralt, if you want to see her again, call her. I know it sounds crazy but you could even ask her why she left. If she doesn’t answer, stop wondering about whys and what ifs and get over it. It’s really no big deal.”

“Hm.”

Jaskier was right and even though he hated to admit it there was no way around it. He knew from the moment she had closed his apartment door behind her that he wanted to see her again. For now, he should take his mind off her and get busy. Laundry was still waiting for him and he really couldn’t put that off any longer.

^^^^^^^^^

Yennefer paced her apartment. She was a grown-up woman. She could enjoy a one-night stand and accept it for what it was, couldn’t she? At this point she wasn’t sure. She had thought it best to spare them both the awkwardness of waking up next to each other with morning breath and her eyeliner smudged around her eyes but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had detected something like disappointment in his eyes when she had asked him to call her an Uber. She had changed her mind about leaving 5 times while she stood outside, waiting, but as her phone had indeed died, she couldn’t have sent him a text, thus sparing her the embarrassment if he really didn’t want her to stay. In the end she had just gotten in the car and gone home, her bed feeling weirdly empty.

Weren’t guys usually happy for any kind of excuse to get rid of the girl as soon as the sex was over? So why couldn’t she shake the feeling that he would have actually liked her to stay? Whoever said that women were complicated had obviously never dated men. There were at least as indecisive and complicated as women. Maybe it was the damn phones and dating apps, supplying a never ceasing flow of options so that people had simply unlearned to get attached?

Ok, now she sounded like her mother. She had to stop this. 

She went over to where her phone was charging and the movement made her aware of the pleasant soreness between her thighs. She had also found a hickey underneath her left breast, her mind readily supplying flashbacks at these reminders. Her phone dutifully announced that its battery was now sufficiently charged and that she had received a message. Excited, she opened the messenger and hated herself a little for being disappointed when the message wasn’t from Geralt but from her best friend.

_I was just thinking about the one time in college when we got so black out drunk, we had to crash in a park and woke up on our front lawn. Do you remember?  
Man, those were the times…._

She smiled at her phone, sometimes it seemed as if Triss could read her mind.

_I do remember. Now look at us. All grown-up with jobs and everything._

_I know. Who would have thought. Everything ok with you?_

Damn. She really could read minds.

_Actually no…boy drama of sorts. I wish you were here. Can we ft?_

The next second her phone started ringing, indicating an incoming FaceTime call from Triss which she immediately accepted.

“Hi Yenna, are you all right? What is this boy drama about?”

Yennefer smiled widely, it was always so good to see Triss, even if it was not in person. She had a way of breaking down problems to their core, making their solution seem easy and almost obvious. Exactly what she needed right now.  
So, she told her everything. About her stupid impulse flirt that had ended in embarrassing her object of desire and her running to the closest supply closet, followed by the days of self-doubt and then finally their actual date. How he had really pissed her off with his text message but the date after had been nice. Really nice. So much that they had actually ended up in bed together and boy, had that been worth the torture of shaving, sore toes, and the blow to her ego for having to admit she overreacted in their earlier little dispute. When she had finally reached the end of her story with her packing her stuff and leaving, she let out a long breath and could feel that a blush had spread over her cheeks while recounting her nightly adventures. 

“And now I’m going batshit crazy because I really like that guy, I think. I definitely liked the sex and it was so exciting and I think I want to see him again. On the other hand, I just left him standing there, getting up and out as soon as he – well, was no longer inside of me.” She cringed at her choice of words. “I’m pretty sure he actually wanted me to stay the night. I can’t explain it but he seemed kinda hurt or something when I asked him to call me an Uber. I don’t get it. No matter what you do, you’re doing it wrong.”

“Okay, take a deep breath now”, Triss piped in. “You left after the sex. So what? People do that all the time. It’s not like you dropped $50 and walked out. By the way, you go girl. Look at you going on dates with a hot guy and getting laid the first night, leaving after. What an icon!” She laughed into the microphone but quickly caught herself as she noticed that her friend was apparently really struggling with herself.

“Look, Yenna. It’s normal to develop some kind of feeling after you’ve slept with someone. Men are no different here. That kind of connection sets all kind of hormones on the loose and messes with you.”

“He is different, apparently. I can’t stop thinking about him and have my phone in hand every two minutes waiting for a message.”

“Relax! He probably sticks to this stupid 3 days no texting rule or whatever.”

“People still do that?”

“Seems like it. I think it’s stupid and so should you. If you want to see him again and he wants to see you again it doesn’t matter who texted whom after whatever many days. He’ll answer if he likes you. If he doesn’t, he won’t. That might hurt but waiting three days won’t change anything about that so might as well get it over with and get your answers.”

Yennefer sighed audibly.

“Guess you’re right. Damn…why do you always have to be right?”

“Because that is the reason you come to me if you want a problem solved.”

“Well, thank you. You’re the best! And now I have talked enough about myself. How are things with you? Anything new?”

“Ah same old, I’m afraid. Still looking for an eligible bachelor to appease my mom but overall, I’m doing good. I really like Chicago. The job is great, I like the city. Only downside is the distance to you, though. I really miss you, Yenna.”

“I miss you as well. But we’ll live in the same city one day again! I’m sure!”

“Of course, we will! Until then I’m only a phone call away. Now go take a shower and call your friends that are actually within driving distance or watch a movie or something. It will take your mind off Mr. gorgeous brown locks and if you still can’t stop thinking about him tomorrow then just text him. Ask him if he wants to get coffee and, you know, actually talk and get to know each other maybe. The temptation of ripping each other’s clothes off might be lesser in broad daylight.”

“Okay, byeeeeeeee. I’ll let you know how that worked out!” Yennefer laughed and threw a few kisses into the camera before hanging up.

‘Right, shower and then plans for the evening’. It was rare that she actually had a complete weekend off so she might as well take Triss’ advice and do something nice, pamper herself. Forgetting about _him_ and deal with it in the morning.  
She grabbed fresh clothes from her closet and decided to stop thinking about him after her shower, though.

-

She had made good use of her day off, having spent it at lunch with friends and having treated herself to a cute new shirt. Thoroughly exhausted from all the chattering and walking around stores she kicked her apartment door shut and sighed. ‘First things first – shoes off’, she thought while allowing herself an exaggerated grown as she toed off her boots. 

The days had gotten colder in the last weeks and she had not been dressed appropriately so, a little frozen, she decided to have one of her beloved baths with about a pint of lavender oil to warm her stiff muscles. While the hot water slowly filled her tub, she put her hair into a messy bun on top of her head, placed a fluffy towel on the radiator and then proceeded into the kitchen to get a bottle of wine from her fridge. When everything was ready, she finished off with a few candles and then sank into the hot water, her skin breaking out in goosebumps as it adjusted to the change in temperature. 

“Ahhhhh, this is nice”, she murmured to herself while enjoying the slight sting the hot water caused on her frozen toes, lifting the wine glass to her lips. The relaxation lasted for a whole 6 minutes before her brain, suddenly without occupation, started drifting back to Geralt and the night before, causing her to shift around in the tub, trying to alleviate the pull of arousal in her core. Damn it, she was acting like a horny teenager and the second glass of wine she was already on didn’t really help her case. Yennefer allowed herself to think back to last night in detail, letting her wine-clouded mind to pull up every detail from the graze of his stubble on her inner thigh, the way he smelled like wood and something herbal to the grunts in her ear he couldn’t hold back when he had pumped himself within her. Without a conscious decision her hand had already made its way below the water surface along her belly and started in teasing circles around her clit. She bit her lip and placed the wine glass to the side, letting her other hand palm her breast. She didn’t last long before she clenched rhythmically around her fingers moaning softly around her teeth that had sunken into her fist. 

When the haze cleared as her pulse settled, she thought about what Triss had said. _If you want to see him again and he wants to see you again it doesn’t matter who texted whom after whatever many days._

‘Damn, she really is right’, Yennefer thought to herself. ‘It’s not the 1960s, girl. You get up and text him now!’. Her mental pep talk was supported by the rest of the wine in her glass, before she wrapped herself in the heated towel, drained the tub and sat down on her couch, phone in hand.

_Hello Geralt, how are you?_

She immediately deleted the message. What even was that? She wasn’t drafting an e-mail to her co-worker.

_Hi, did you have a good day?_

Also, no! She wasn’t his mom either. Why was this so hard? ‘Okay, I’m overthinking this. Let’s start with a simple, non-committal text to get a conversation going.’

_I really liked the restaurant you picked, have you been there before?_

She quickly pressed send before she could change her mind again and busied herself with a little TV as she played the waiting game.

^^^^^^

_She texted me._

_Jaskier, she texted me “I really liked the restaurant you picked, have you been there before?” What do I answer?_

He stared at his phone, watching the status next to Jaskier’s photo change from offline to online, then to typing.

_See? Told you it couldn’t have been that bad._

_Seems like it, but I can still blow it so please help me answer her now? You must have had your fair share texting after one-night stands._

_Oh Geralt, I love how you turn to me for a slice of my wisdom!_

Geralt rolled his eyes. 

_Yes, you’re amazing. Now. Will you help me?_

_I will help you by letting you in on a secret when it comes to texting. Don’t start interpreting hidden meanings. That always goes south. Just answer her goddamn question. Have you ever been before or not?_

Geralt wrung his hands. He was shit at this. He preferred a good old face to face conversation. It was so much easier when you could actually see the person you were talking to, see their expression and listen for sarcasm and intonations. 

_Hm. Great. Thanks for sharing your wisdom then._

‘You got this, Geralt.’, he mentally prepared himself. ‘Girls like you. Just be cool.’

_Hey Yennefer. Glad you liked it. It was actually a friend’s recommendation._

The little “typing” bubble appeared almost immediately. Then disappeared. Then reappeared again.

_Yeah it was great! Let me know if that friend has any other recommendations haha_

He read her text three times. ‘Let me know if they have other recommendations?’, he thought. What was that supposed to mean? Did she want to go somewhere else with him? But what about that haha. What if she meant it as a joke? This was exactly what Jaskier had talked about, though. He wasn’t supposed to start interpreting stuff into the texts so, he decided to risk it. 

_Well I’m not sure if he knows any place that can compete with the restaurant but if you’d like we could -_

He didn’t manage to finish writing that text when another popped up.

_In case he doesn’t, would you maybe be interested in going to Luke’s any time? I still owe you a round of drinks if I remember correctly._

He grinned. How did that saying go again? Good things come to those who wait. 

_Sounds good. What about next weekend?_

_I can’t…I’m working all weekend. But I could do Thursday? I have the late shift on Friday._

_Thursday works. I’ll see you there at 9?_

_See you there!_

He locked his phone and stared at his reflection looking up at him from the black screen. Now he just had to kick ass at work this week so he could afford going into work on Friday with a hangover and, hopefully, little sleep.

^^^^^^

Yennefer clutched her phone to her chest and exhaled deeply through her nose. She had done it. She had asked him on a second date and it had actually worked out! She quickly shot a text to Triss, thanking her for the advice and updating her.

-

The following days flew by in a haze, the bustle at the hospital keeping her busy and making her fall into bed immediately when she came home. When Thursday morning finally rolled around, she couldn’t help but feel like a teenager before prom. Sure, it was only drinks at a bar, nothing big, really, but to her, it was big. They had actually been texting all week, talking about this and that and updating each other on their days had already become a habit. 

She had had the morning shift at the hospital and was currently sitting in the break room catching her breath. It had been a crazy few hours already as they had two middle school hockey teams come into the E.R. with several broken noses, twisted ankles, lots of shouting and something about some foul that had started the mass brawl in the first place which she hadn’t understood in the slightest. She could feel a headache forming and made a mental note to pick up some ibuprofen on her way home. She had important plans for the night and she needed to make sure she got a few hours of sleep in before her date. 

A ping alerted her to a message on her pager, calling her back into the chaos. She sighed, took a bite from her sandwich and put it back into the fridge with a longing expression, then turned around and got back to work.

Three and a half hours later she was finally standing at her car and made a beeline for her apartment, dropping everything she wore directly behind the threshold of her apartment door and went straight to bed. She had planned for a good two-hour nap but found herself unable to fall asleep properly. She dozed for around 30 minutes, then got up. She couldn’t relax enough to sleep so a coffee would have to do instead. Slipping into her robe and a pair of fluffy bunny slippers she shuffled into the kitchen and while her coffee machine was loudly grinding beans, she went back to her bedroom to review the outfit she had planned for tonight. 

She was very satisfied with her choice of clothing, having paired the newly bought black, off-shoulder shirt that hugged her waist making it appear slim and dainty, while accentuating her breasts with a deep neckline, with a pair of faux leather pants as her bottoms and some ankle boots. After recharging with a cup of coffee so big it would have made her cardio colleagues gasp in horror, she set about the task of combing and sorting through her curls until they fell in a controlled chaos down her back. She applied red lipstick and put some dangly, silver earrings in, completing her outfit. 

Yennefer was no self-conscious girl but everyone starts second guessing themselves after staring at their reflection for too long. She called Triss again. 

“Hi Yenna, ready for your date? Ooooh! Your tits look nice in that shirt by the way!” 

“Thanks, Triss. Not exactly the comment I was looking for but it works, I guess.” She laughed. “I called you to get a second opinion on my outfit.”

“Oh haha I’m sure _Geralt_ ”, she dragged his name, “doesn’t mind at all. Do me a favour and grant him bonus points whenever he manages to look at your face, though.”

“After our last date it’s too late to play the blushing bride anyway.” Yennfer grinned. “I gotta go now. Thanks again and wish me luck!”

“You won’t need it with that top, but good luck!” She had hung up before Yennefer managed a reply. She turned back to the mirror, pushed her breasts up with her hands and said to herself:” My tits really do look good in that top!”. 

-

She was relieved when she arrived at the bar to find him waiting for her outside. She had checked her watch – she was on time – and now it would make it less awkward to walk alone into a bar and wait for him. 

She noted how his gaze gave her an appreciating once-over before resting a few seconds on her cleavage. He quickly caught himself and continued up to her face, grinning like a school boy that been caught and wasn’t sorry at all.

“You look wonderful”, he murmured in her hear, pressing his lips to her cheek. 

“Why thank you.”, she whispered back, making sure her breasts were pressed to his chest as she hugged him tightly while returning his greeting in kind. He himself left her quite breathless, his muscled frame in a more casual dress shirt, with rolled up sleeves and the top two buttons open, the material stretched tightly over biceps and pectorals. He wore jeans and boots with it, giving him a hands-down vibe, that she liked very much. His curls were as gloriously messy as she remembered them and she longed to twist her fingers in them again.

“Shall we go in?”, she asked, but instead of waiting for his reply she made her way to the door, swaying her hips as she went. 

It was surprisingly busy for a Thursday evening but she spotted a free booth in the corner just across the bar and made a beeline for it, sliding into the worn leather bench. He sat down in front of her and drew in a breath to say something when a waitress seemed to appear out of thin air before their table. “Hi, what can I get you?”, she smiled brightly, her server personality worthy of an Oscar. Yennefer had to be kind to patients as well but she couldn’t imagine the strain of always having to be in a good mood at work, especially when she likely got a lot of unwanted comments during her shifts. 

She couldn’t help but compare herself to the waitress who seemed to be about her age. She was very pretty in a cute, innocent, small town way with rosy cheeks and smooth, blonde hair that fell from a high ponytail over her shoulder. Yennefer sometimes wished for such smooth hair. Her own locks were beautiful and kind of her trademark but they were also hard to tame and more often than not they looked simply messy, forcing her to braid it. She glanced over to Geralt, who seemed to be the type of guy that was well liked by these cute girls, looking for someone big and strong to protect them. When she found nothing but a friendly, neutral smile on his face she was relieved, but disappointed in herself for entertaining such self-conscious thoughts. 

She pulled herself from her mind and ordered a beer. He seemed surprised by that and she went with the laid-back, low-maintenance attitude it gave off, leaving him in the dark about her true motives: wine in bars was always horrible.

“Tell me about your day”, he prompted and she told him everything about the hockey team chaos with all its bloody details. He seemed to enjoy listening to her talk about her work and asked many questions about her job. She had just finished her top three goriest E.R. stories when she noticed that she had done the vast majority of the talking until now and took a long sip from her beer. “That is the second time we see each other and I feel like I have told you basically everything about me but I only know about you that you used to spend your summers at your uncle’s horse farm.”

A pensive expression spread over his face. “I never had a good relationship with my dad and by saying that I mean that I never met him. He left my mum when she got pregnant and only saw him a few times when I was a little older but he didn’t seem interested in actually getting to know his own son. My mother had her hands full with work, trying to pay the bills and raising a kid on her own. So, in the summer months when there was no school, she would send me to Vesemir. I actually have no clue if he’s really my uncle but we shared a relationship of a kind I always imagined a father and son would have. It was hard work on the farm but it was also fun and rewarding, he taught me everything I know from building a fence to horseback riding.”

His expression had now taken on a fond smile.

“I would work my ass off dawn to dusk to spend as much time with him as I could before school started again and I had to get back to the small apartment we lived in. My mom tried her best but, well. Anyways, I loved the feel of freedom, it was very simple: you get up, get your chores done and you enjoy the nature around you. On Wednesdays, we would take the horses on a long trip through the woods, ride through streams and up small hills. I really miss him.”

Shit. She had manoeuvred the conversation to the loss of a beloved person. Well done. 

“Oh, I didn’t know. I’m so sorry”, she reached out and put her hand on his, squeezing it sympathetically. 

He looked up into her eyes, then to their joined hands the table and turned his palm up, engulfing her hand in his. 

“It’s ok. He’s been gone for some time now and the farm still stands, two boys, well, men by now I guess, from the neighbourhood took over. They used to give Vesemir a hand throughout the year and often joined for BBQs or on busy days.”  
Geralt brought her hand up and lightly kissed her knuckles while maintaining eye contact and her heart fluttered a little. 

“Anyways, I still go sometimes if I can get time off work. One of the guys, Lambert, can be a real ass but he is also a very loyal friend. As teenagers we used to blow shit up together when we could escape our chores. It was a 4th July weekend and Lambert had gotten his hands on a bucket full of fireworks and we set out to light them. Naturally, it was only a matter of time until something went haywire and we accidentally set an old barn on fire. Man, we never ran that fast in our lives before and likely never will.”

He let out a booming laugh that Yennefer found infectious. She laughed with him at the mental image of a young Geralt, sprinting across a field, fireworks still in hand. 

They had gone through two more beers each by now and Geralt excused himself for a minute. When he had disappeared around the corner, she pulled out her phone, checking for messages and writing a text to Triss. She had typed two sentences, when a voice shook her from her concentration.

“Hi sweet cheeks, you alone here?” She looked up and into a face that meant trouble. The man was around 15 years her senior, with massive shoulders and an impressive moustache that reminded her of a walrus. He was standing way too close, invading her personal space and smelling like beer and some kind of herbal liquor, his eyes fogged over, indicating his drunken state. 

She usually took the ‘don’t engage’ approach when it came to unwanted male attention but since she had already looked in the face, this road was closed. Instead, she opted for neutral and firm tones with a cold expression as a friendly smile would have been mistaken for interest. She looked back at her phone and with a dismissive voice simply said:” No, I am not.” 

Walrus stepped even closer and leaned down, his breath making her eyes water. “That’s not very of nice of you to talk to me like that”, he slurred. “Why don’t you come over and sit with me and my friends, huh? I’ll buy you a drink, missy.”

‘Missy?’, she couldn’t believe her ears. Who did that guy think he was? Having none of this bullshit she tried to get up and give that guy a piece of her mind on eye-level, when she found herself caged between his arms, one hand leaning on the backrest of the booth, the other resting like a fleshy spider on the table. She stumbled back, falling ungraciously on her ass and noticed that she was quite a bit tipsy herself. 

Yennefer was getting nervous now, all the confidence and emancipation in the world be damned but she realised that she couldn’t handle this guy on her own. He was obviously drunk and not letting this drop. Where was Geralt? It seemed ages ago that he had left for the bathroom.

Just as that thought had crossed her mind, she could hear heavy footsteps approach. “Didn’t you hear what she said or are too stupid to understand it?” Geralt came into view and he was pissed. Brows furrowed in irritation, he put his hands on each of the walrus’ shoulders and turned him around, getting him a few steps away from her. She felt herself breathe a little easier and silently thanked Geralt for his excellent timing. 

Walrus was now leaning against the table next to their booth, seemingly struggling with his balance. When his small, angry eyes wandered up Geralt’s chest and into his eyes, she could hear the gears turning in his head, deciding on his next move. He glanced over to where a group of men his age was seated and she concluded that this must be his group of friends.  
Said group was now cheering him on, raising their beers and this seemed to bolster his confidence. Another look at Geralt let him pause again, though and Yennefer thought she could basically see his brain make the decision to let this one go. He deflated before their eyes and turned around. He seemed to be leaving.

Her relief was quick-lived however, as Walrus suddenly grunted loudly, and took a wild swinger, his fist landing with a gut-twisting crack on Geralt’s jaw.


	5. CHAPTER FOUR: falling in love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters get longer and longer but I wanted to take my time with this one....some smut and implied smut ensues so proceed with caution. You can always skip these parts without missing out on any story.

Geralt stumbled back, his hand holding his jaw. He obviously hadn’t seen that one coming and his reflexes had been a fracture of a second too slow. She couldn’t blame him; everything had looked as if Walrus was actually backing down.  
Dropping his hand from his jaw, a look of icy rage in his eyes, Geralt flexed every muscle in his body, took two measured steps towards Walrus, and paid him back in kind.

Yennefer couldn’t believe her eyes. How did this escalate so quickly? She couldn’t keep her eyes off the scene unfolding in front of her even as she heard the waitress scream at them to please stop. The Walrus, obviously haven’t been expecting such a retaliation, shot another look at his buddies but it seemed that Geralt’s punch had taken the motivation for a fight out of them. 

She slowly regained the ability to think again, slammed a few bills on the table and made use of the stupor everyone was in by taking Geralt by the arm, pulling him outside and around the corner, lest these idiots try and get back at them.

“How could you be so stupid?”, she almost screamed at him. Sure, Geralt was a big man and obviously more than capable of packing but also receiving a few punches, but that man had been unpredictable, drunk, aggressive, and had been there with a group of friends. It had been reckless, to put it mildly. 

She dabbed at his lip which had sprung from the punch and watched for signs of disorientation. She was worried that the unexpected hit to his face might have done more damage than what was obvious at first sight. He grunted in discomfort and tried to get a hold of her hands, put she shooed him away and continued her assessment. 

His jaw was starting to bruise and that would surely hurt for a few days but other than the slowly receding bleed of his lip, he seemed to be alright.  
She breathed a huff of relief, then took his face between her hands and turned it so he would look her in the eyes. 

“Why did you do that? You could have gotten seriously hurt! What if his friends would have joined in?”

“Well, they didn’t. I’m really pissed that asshole got a hit in, I thought he’d be too drunk to aim properly.”

“Why do men always have to punch each other in the face?”, she lamented. “The testosterone must short circuit your brains or something because-“ 

Yennefer didn’t get to finish her sentence as he shook his head vehemently and winced slightly.

“And I did that because this repulsive piece of shit harassed my beautiful, slightly tipsy and about a third his weight date whom I very much care about to not get hurt! And I would do it again. Without a second thought.”

“Without a second thought alright”, she mumbled, but couldn’t help a warm smile spreading across her face. He really had meant well and his willingness to protect her and put himself in harm’s way to shield her made her heart stutter. She pressed a careful kiss to his cheek in thanks but he quickly turned his head to meet his lips to hers. 

She carefully slung her arms around his neck, finally fulfilling her wish to twist her fingers in his locks again, and returned the kiss, enjoying the feel of his soft lips on hers while the stubble of his beard tickled her chin. His hands had sneaked around her body and pressed her to him, deepening the kiss but before she could react in kind, she noticed that they started tilting to the side as Geralt was obviously not able to keep his balance while his eyes were closed.   
She pulled away from the kiss to avoid them falling over, her earlier suspicion about possible long-term effects of the punch raised again.

“Okay, we’re getting you an Uber home.” She decided, her tone not allowing another opinion. She pulled out her phone and let him type in his address, very well acknowledging the irony of the role reversal when it came to calling Ubers for each other.

^^^^^^

Geralt could feel the pounding of his head reverberate in his jaw and his abused knuckles. It had been some time since he had last punched someone in the face and forgot just how much that actually hurt. He didn’t regret his actions one bit, though, the fact that he had gotten Yennefer away from that guy in time and her fussing about his well-being made him realise that he had made the right decision. He found it almost adorable how she made sure he was comfortable, offering a comforting stroke to his battered face every once in a while, muttering to herself. 

Her initial outburst had shocked him at first. He had expected something like gratitude that he had stepped in, at least a word of thanks, but he quickly realised that her anger had been a mask to hide genuine concern. He closed his eyes to focus on her touch, feeling the car taking turns and stopping every now and then.

Eventually, they arrived at his place, and she fumbled his keys from his pocket and manoeuvred him up the stairs and onto his couch. He watched her bustle around his kitchen and through his bathroom drawers before she sat down on the coffee table in front of him, dumping her loot next to her. 

She seemed to be a little upset still so he decided it would be best if he just sat there and endured her treatment without resistance. As she dabbed at his lip and knuckles with a towel dipped in warm water, followed by a rubbing alcohol-soaked cotton round, and dressings for his hand, he watched her face mesmerized, her eyes darting from the patch of skin she was currently treating to his eyes and back.   
“Okay, all done”, she suddenly said, rousing him from his trance. “Do take two of these”, she held two white pills she seemed to have procured from her purse in front of his face “you had something to drink but you’ll get a serious headache from that blow and this way you can sleep through the worst of it and get some rest. Your body needs it.” 

Obediently, he took them from her palm and swallowed them. Yennefer rose and sat down next to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Oh Geralt”, she said more to herself, then shook her head but he could see her smile out the corner of his eye. They sat that way for a few minutes in silence, simply enjoying each other’s company. When the drugs started to work, he became sleepy and she ushered him to the bedroom, helping with the buttons of his shirt as his coordination started to disintegrate.

“Not exactly how I pictured that happening tonight”, he grumbled, smiling when she looked up at him, one brow raised high in feigned annoyance.   
“At least I can’t say it gets boring around you”, she shot back, pressing a warm palm to his chest when he had shrugged out of his shirt to make him sit down. He plopped onto his pillow and closed his eyes, hearing her shuffle around, opening and closing doors.

‘Well done, Geralt’, he chastised himself. ‘The first date ended in her leaving the first chance she got and on the second date you throw hands with a stranger, get punched in the mug and have to be taken home and tucked into bed like a kid who got into a fight on the playground.’ He mentally said goodbye to Yennefer, lamenting his stupidity. She had been so kind to make sure he would get home safely but he would likely never see her again.   
As he started to drown in self-pity, he suddenly felt the mattress dip next to him and the cover shift to make room for a slim figure that pressed itself against him, smoothing a hand over his hair.

“What?”, he managed, his brain not keeping up with the situation.

“Sorry”, a voice whispered back. “Did I hurt you?”

A soft cloud of lilac and gooseberry perfume wafted into his nose, then it clicked. Yennefer had obviously left to use the bathroom and was now snuggled against him, settling in for the night.   
“Why?”, he asked, his eyes drooping.

“Are you always that eloquent?”, she giggled. “If you’re asking what I’m doing; you might have a concussion and I also gave you pain meds, knowing you’ve had alcohol so obviously, I’m staying the night to keep an eye on you. Everything else would be irresponsible.”

He got a feeling it was more than sense of duty that made her stay, and it made his heart do funny flips. “Hm”, he grunted as an answer, letting her scent lull him in and drift away.

-

Streaks of sunlight filtered in through the window, rousing him from a deep, dreamless sleep. As he tried to turn to his other side, he noticed two things: firstly, his face hurt like a bitch and secondly, his movement was restricted by a slim but strong arm that was wrapped around him, making him the little spoon to a person much smaller than him. Technically a jetpack, so to speak. 

His movements appeared to have woken said jetpack, and a sleepy voice muffled from behind him: “Good morning, did you sleep well? How is your head?”  
He carefully turned in her arms, pulling them up to his neck so he could scoot closer, embracing her and fitting their bodies together like two pieces of a puzzle. Her hair engulfed her head in a messy mass of black locks, her eyeliner smeared around the corners of her eyes and her face relaxed, half asleep still. 

It might as well have been the prettiest sight he had ever seen.

His chest constricted as he recalled the events of their second date. How beautiful she had looked and how he had imagined peeling that top off of her, freeing her perfect breasts from their constriction, and her skin melting to his under heated kisses.   
His thoughts didn’t make it further as he could feel her chuckle. “I take that as a yes then”, and to accentuate her point, she wriggled her thigh along his prominent and undeniable erection. 

“Sorry”, he murmured, trying to angle his hips backwards, only for her to swiftly claim the space he had freed. “Don’t be”, she hushed, pressing her nose into the skin between chin and throat, pulling a contented groan from him.   
Trying not to disturb her too much, he fished around for his phone, shooting a quick e-mail to HR to call in sick. He quietly thanked the gods that he didn’t tell his co-workers that he had a date, otherwise rumours would spread quickly. Having that out of the way he cleared his mind of all thoughts and revelled in the feel of her pressed against him, the warmth of her breath at his neck and the tickle of a few stray hairs in his face.

He pressed a kiss to the crown of her head and she hummed contentedly, the sound warming him from within. Slowly, he drifted back to sleep, pulled under water by the sound of her even breathing and the steady rise and fall of her chest against his torso.   
When he woke again, he identified the feeling of small kisses against his bare chest as the source of his waking, informing her trough a rumbling that he was no longer sleeping. Yennefer sneaked up his body and pressed a soft, long kiss to his lips, luring a grumble out of him before he returned it. When her hand came to rest against his jaw he flinched, a sudden pain piercing through his face. 

“I’m so sorry!” she yelped, withdrawing her hand quickly. “It’s okay”, he hummed, kissing her again. Her hand resumed her fumbling along his neck and into his hair again – he noticed that she seemed to do that as often as she could – and she sighed against him. When he withdrew it was with regret but due to a strong call he could no longer deny. He carefully untangled himself from her and hushed her protests with quick kisses to the hands that tried to keep him in bed. 

“I’ll be right back” he promised, then made his way to the bathroom. 

The reflection that greeted him from the mirror jolted him fully awake; a wrinkled face with a bloody lip and a colourful bruise along his jaw that was visible even beneath the stubble of his beard. He carefully touched the bruised skin, testing it, before he did what he came for, splashed a little water in his face and quickly brushed his teeth. He noticed the mouthwash standing open on the brim of the sink, Yennefer must have used it in lieu of a toothbrush last night, and he made a mental note to buy a spare toothbrush for, hopefully, future use.

He made a stop in the kitchen, then walked back into the bedroom, two cups of coffee as a peace offering for waking her in hand.  
“Coffee?”, he offered, holding one of the cups in front of her face. Her nose raised up out of the covers, then a hand followed, grabbing the cup. She was absolutely dishevelled and he found it adorable. He slid into bed next to her, his own coffee in hand. 

“So, uh. Thank you. For patching me up and stuff”, he eventually said, then added:” and for staying the night. That was nice of you”, addressing the elephant in the room.

“You’re welcome”, she smiled at him, trying to comb through her hair with one hand in a futile attempt to tame her bed hair. “Besides, I wanted to. You got punched on my account, getting you home and bandaged was the least I could do and I figured you wouldn’t mind me staying. Apart from medical supervision, I mean.”   
She looked at her coffee, fumbling with the handle of her mug and added: “I hoped I would stay the night anyway. Even though, I didn’t plan for the evening to unfold as it did. I’m really sorry you got hurt.”

“I told you, it’s really no big deal. I gladly took that hit if it meant getting you away from that guy.”

“I guess that was quite chivalrous of you”, she winked at him. “If only I knew how to properly repay my knight in shining armour!”, she dramatically sighed, wringing her hands, while her foot had sneaked between his calves under the sheets, rubbing circles into his muscles.

He could feel his blood rushing south as she looked at him expectantly, wriggling her eyebrows suggestively. He noticed that she had swapped her clothes from last night for a t-shirt of his that she must have picked up from the pile of unfolded laundry in his living room. It elicited a sense of proud possessiveness in him, seeing her in his shirt, in his bed, waiting for him to use her in the most delicious ways.   
He snatched the coffee cup out of her hands and put it on the nightstand, then pulled her to him by her hips, bunching up the shirt in the process and revealing white panties that had all sorts of criss-crossing strings along her hipbones. He traced the line of her underwear along her butt cheeks, grinding into her. She melted into him, making happy noises under his assault and responded by dragging one of her thighs up his leg until finally wrapping it around his waist, hence positioning her core against him perfectly.

He felt her pull his bottom lip between her teeth, followed by a soothing tongue which he claimed instantly, devouring her mouth. She pressed herself against him harder, prompting him to roll her on her back, her other leg coming up to make room for his hips between her thighs, linking her ankles on his back. One hand gripped underneath her jaw, his fingers splaying wide and pressing her chin up, baring her throat to him. She moaned loudly, arching her back and he made his way down to the dip between her collarbones, then continued further until his path was obstructed by the collar of his shirt. He almost ripped it from her, sliding one hand under her back to get it over her head easier, then tossed it to the side. She made an appreciating sound at his display of desire and happily obliged, stretching her hands over her head to aid him.  
As soon as she lay there before him, almost bare only for him, he took a second, taking in the smooth skin of her belly and the rosy nipples on her perfect breasts before he found himself pulled down by slim arms and lithe legs. 

“Geralt”, she all but snarled. “Don’t make me wait. I’ve wanted to feel you inside me every day since we first met and I feel my patience dwindling”

That sentence sent a rush of arousal down his spine. He loved it when she talked dirty and it stroked his ego immensely that she admitted to wanting him badly. He had shared that sentiment with equal vigour, happily obliging her request.

“Careful what you wish you”, he breathed next to her ear, proudly noting the goose bumps erupting on her neck all the way down to her hardening nipples. While her foot had started to stroke up and down his calf, he caressed her all the way down her leg, taking her panties with him. Finally free of her last piece of clothing, she shifted around pushing at the waistband of his boxers until she was able to pull it down the rest of the way by hooking her toes where her fingers had started. The sudden skin on skin contact had him fighting for control, his venturing fingers confirming that she was wet for him, making it easy to simply slip into her.

“Ah! Geralt!”, she pressed, tugging at his hair as he pumped two fingers into her, her legs growing restless. The pain on his scalp helped him clear his mind a little, just enough to pin her down with the heel of his hand on her pubic eminence while his fingers circled her clit, which freed his other hand to go rummaging through his nightstand drawer once again, this time locating the condoms more easily.

“Hm, you’re so sexy when you remember to use a condom”, she sighed, continuing where he had left off in favour of getting that damn foil packaging open. He knew he was staring but couldn’t find it in him to care. Her fingers flicked about her clit in quick movements, spreading the glistening slick from her core around. She let out a languid moan and he could see her starting to twitch in a slow but building rhythm, announcing her impending orgasm. 

“Do you like watching me?”, she asked not deviating from the quick rubbing, her eyes drifting shut as she started shaking, the last syllable drowning in a strangled scream as her orgasm took away her ability to speak. He chose exactly that moment to dive in, pushing into her pulsing core causing her eyes to widen, her mouth open, the air pressed from her lungs. 

It felt incredible, stars seemed to explode behind his eyelids as he held onto the last string of control, waiting for her pulsing to recede. When she came down from her high and he could feel her relax around him he dared to start moving. Sitting back on his heels, he seized her ass, pulling her up while supporting her back. This position allowed him to drive deeply into her, her previous orgasm making this possible for her without discomfort.   
“Fuck”, he grunted, relishing in the feeling of her muscles pulling him in, the sight of her flushed skin and the way her hair was splayed around her head, framing her face in a high contrast of raven locks and pale skin. His hips set a vigorous pace, chasing his own orgasm along with her second, determined to outlast her. 

Geralt sneaked a pillow under the small of her back, supporting her in his stead, allowing his left hand to roam her body while his right gripped her hip tightly, holding her in place. He bent over her; her left knee tucked under his right armpit, opening her up further, his left forearm holding his weight next to her head. A continuous stream of unintelligible sounds fell from her mouth, urging him on, putting him into a sort of trance where nothing else mattered but the way her skin felt on his and the sound of her voice ringing in his ears. In an attempt find purchase somewhere, she had set to running her hands up and down his back, her nails scraping along his spine and sending lightning bolts along his nerve endings.  
He wouldn’t last much longer, so he abandoned his grip on her right hip, instead angling his thrusts downwards to keep driving into her hard, enabling him to put his right hand to use on her clit. Oversensitive from her first orgasm, she quickly started spasming around him, the clench on his cock a sweet torture he found himself unable to resist.

He could feel the coil in his lower belly break free, an almost desperate “Yen!” falling from his lips as he came inside her, her body accepting all he was able to give.   
They stayed like that for a while, catching their breaths and exchanging soft kisses and when he grew soft, he carefully removed himself from her, disposing of the condom and quickly joining her back in bed. She rested her head on his chest and his hand stroked her back, eliciting a soft humming from her.

“You’re not about to leave now, are you?”, he asked, hoping they could stay in bed a little longer.

“If that’s ok with you?”, she responded, her head lifting slightly so she could look into his eyes. “I don’t have to go to work for a few hours still.” 

“Hm”, he grumbled contently, and she let her head sink back on his chest, enjoying his ministrations.

The morning went by far too quickly for his liking. They had cuddled a lot, he had made breakfast and then watched TV, his head in her lap while she combed through his hair. Geralt couldn’t remember a moment when he had been so relaxed before. It was easy to let go when he was with her, her presence enough to make him content. He could feel the time run away though, and dreaded the moment she would disappear through the door again. That’s when the night of their first date came to his mind and the realisation that the fact she had left so hastily still bugged him. He decided to take a risk at ruining the current mood by asking her about it.

“Yen”, he started, acknowledging her lack of response as attentive waiting for his next words. “Can I ask you why you left the first night? Did I do anything to make uncomfortable or something?”

“There’s that name again.” He didn’t understand what she meant but her voice was soft, so he waited. 

“Yen”, she elaborated. “Nobody has ever called me that before. I like it.”

She bent down to press a kiss to his temple and he briefly closed his eyes to savour it. 

“I left because I thought you would want me to. The date was nice, obviously, and we shared the passion for each other. I didn’t want to overwhelm you with expecting to stay the night and then you waking up to me with smeared make-up. I also wanted to spare myself the embarrassment of having to go home the next morning with awkward goodbyes and in the clothes from the night before.” 

“I see”

“However,”, she paused purposefully. “I found our evening wonderful and you did absolutely nothing to make me want to leave as soon as possible. Quite the contrary, actually.” Her hand had resumed its fumbling in his hair and he relaxed again, relieved that he hadn’t had a lapse in judgement.

“Glad to hear that. Couldn’t have lived with myself if I’d hurt you or anything.”, he grumbled into his beard. He had seriously been worried. Looking back on that evening he could hardly recall anything he’d done or said in particular. Everything he remembered was all lips, skin, violet eyes, and the sound of her moaning. Talk about impaired judgement. 

“Well, you haven’t. So, forget about it. Even though I don’t wish to repeat the last evening I very much liked this morning.” She smiled suggestively. “And I will expect to stay the night next time. We could go to my place and I could cook something, maybe?”  
“That sounds nice.” Geralt turned around so he was lying on his back, looking up at her. “How long until you’ve gotta leave for work?”

She glanced over at the clock in the kitchen. “About two hours, why?”

“Hm, that shall be enough”, and before she realised what he’d meant he had already sprung to his knees, pushing her feet up the couch and pulling her beneath him, a delighted squeal on her lips.  
He took it slowly this time, relishing in every single impression of her. Their lovemaking was sweet but no less intense, both of them building a genuine connection in contrast to the fierce but shallow lust they previously exchanged. 

When she got up and dressed to leave this time, they shared a long kiss before she went out the door and he watched after her until she disappeared behind the street corner.  
“I am so fucked”, he sighed and couldn’t help the grin splitting his face.

^^^^^^^^

Over the next weeks neither Geralt nor Yennefer found themselves able to spend more than two nights apart, their phones constantly buzzing during work or on the rare free time they didn’t spend together.   
About three weeks in, Geralt proposed they do the next step; meet each other’s best friends. Seeing as Triss lived about a six-hour drive away from them, Jaskier went first.   
They met at a bar that weekend, Geralt had set it up as an easy-going, relaxed environment. Yennefer could tell he was nervous and she really did want to get along with Jaskier. She knew how much he meant to Geralt and that a good relationship with his best friend would be crucial if she wanted this to last. 

Geralt was supposed to give Jaskier a lift so Yennefer had arrived on her own and was currently finding herself in front of the bar, 20 minutes early. She was more nervous than she cared to admit. She had tried to remember everything Geralt had ever said about Jaskier but every time they talked about anything, it somehow ended in sex against any surface. Oh well, she would just have to wing it. She had fixed his nose once and had done a fine job at stitching the cut on his face. She wagered they’d be at a good start.

When Geralt’s car came into view around the corner she waved at them excitedly and went over to where they had parked. 

“Hi, Jaskier! Nice to see you without any blood on your face”, she greeted, giving Geralt a quick kiss on the lips. 

“Hello, dear Yennefer. Lovely to finally see you out of this rather unflattering lab coat.” Jaskier grinned and for a second, she didn’t know if she should be offended but he then swooped her into a hug and she decided to let that one slide.

Geralt seemed to be relieved that the initial greeting was over and they could move onto the part of evening that involved beers. 

When they were seated, a drink in hand each, Yennefer thought it best to start the conversation on an easy topic.

“So, Geralt tells me you’re into music?”

“Yes, I am! I play cover songs with my guitar in some bars. I’ve also tried my hand at composing my own songs so, it’s only a matter of time until I’ll be a famous popstar. Better get your autograph now and sell it for some thousand bucks in a few years.” Jaskier winked and proceeded to scribble his name on his napkin. “There you go, love”

“Are you any good? If not, I rather not put that beer-soaked nappy into my purse”, she scrunched her nose as she held the napkin between two fingers.

Jaskier pressed a hand to his chest and gasped dramatically.

“Geralt, did you hear that?”

Geralt laughed, patting Jaskier’s shoulder in apology while throwing a mischievous glance at Yennefer.

“In that case, I shall gift my first ever autograph to someone who can appreciate it”, he turned up his nose and feigned offense. 

“Oh, don’t be dramatic. I didn’t mean it.” She smiled sympathetically: “Though according to Geralt’s stories you don’t seem to lack female attention without fame, do you?” 

Flattery seemed to work in turning the slight tension around and when she excused herself to go to the bathroom, she could hear Jaskier tell Geralt: “I see why you like her, well done, my friend.”

She booked that evening as a success and when they had dropped off a very drunken and slurry-singing Jaskier at his apartment, it took all they had to not have sex in the back of the Uber taking them to her place. Geralt kept whispering in her ear how much this evening meant to him and how happy he was they were getting along.

Time flew by with nice days spent strolling through parks, ice-skating and trying new restaurants for lunch, making people’s heads turn at their display of pure joy and romance. They constantly exchanged loving glances and stole kisses, earning themselves annoyed looks every now and then which they pointedly ignored.

As the year progressed and days did not only turn colder but also darker, more often than not they found themselves holed up together, sleeping in, cuddling, and rolling around in not only the sheets but on every surface that was close by. Yennefer couldn’t seem to get enough of him and jumped him every opportunity she got. Gerald couldn’t care less, sharing that sentiment quite strongly. 

When the Christmas season rolled around, Yennefer thought that, maybe, it would be a nice idea if Geralt met her parents? Geralt’s family now only consisted of his mother who lived in France to enjoy her retirement, so she was sure he wouldn’t mind spending the holidays with her family. She couldn’t imagine Christmas without them but she also wanted to spend her favourite time of the year with her love.

She had already spent the last days decorating her apartment and since she was at Geralt’s place half of her time, she decorated that as well. They visited little craft stores and she had consumed about 10 litres of mulled wine. In short – she was in the Christmas spirit with every last fibre of hers. It was her turn this year to have the actual holidays off at the hospital but that meant she had to work many shifts before.   
One night in mid-December after a particularly exhausting day at the hospital she drove straight to Geralt’s apartment, dropped her bag in the hallway and flopped down next to him on the couch. 

“Yen, are you alright?”, he asked lifting a hand to her cheek.

“Just exhausted. These double shifts are getting to me”, she sighed and leaned into his touch. “Can we order something to eat tonight? I’m craving something cheesy.”  
“Of course.” He gave her a quick peck on the lips and got up to make the call.

45 minutes later they were elbow-deep in lasagne and pizzas and Yennefer couldn’t suppress the happy hum. Feeling relaxed again, she cuddled into Geralt and closed her eyes, breathing in the combined scent of him and the scented candles she had placed everywhere.

“I’ve been thinking”, she started, planning on finalising her Christmas plans: “What do you think about spending Christmas at my parent’s house? I figured since your mom lives in France and you didn’t say anything about other relatives you’re close with, you could come along? I always spend the holidays with my mom and dad and this year, I would like you to be there as well.”  
He held her breath, anxious that he might refuse.

“I think that’d be nice”, he finally said, his hand stroking her back. “Will your dad give me the ‘what are your intentions with my daughter?’ talk?” 

Relieved at his answer she pressed closer.  
“God, I hope not”, she laughed. “But I can’t guarantee it. Though mom will surely intervene. I’ll call her tomorrow and announce my plus one.” She stretched to kiss him.

“Thank you, Geralt. That means a lot to me.”

“Hm”, he grumbled, then captured her lips again, deepening the kiss this time. Only minutes later her neighbours would turn up the volume on their TV again, glaring daggers at the adjoining wall.

-

“Hi Mom, how are you?”, Yennefer always paced the apartment when she was on the phone, twirling the cord of her robe between her fingers.

“Yenna, sweetie! How nice of you to call. I am very well, thank you!”

She could hear something in the background.

“Your dad sends his love.”

Yennefer smiled broadly. Ever since she had moved out of her parent’s house their relationship had improved tremendously and she genuinely enjoyed coming home every year. 

“Love you too, dad!” She called into the phone. “I am calling about Christmas, mom. This year I would like to bring someone, if that’s alright?”

She hadn’t talked to her parents before to spare herself the well-meaning but pitying glance her mother would give her if she’d announced she’d bring her boyfriend and then showed up alone because he hadn’t wanted to come. 

“Of course, sweetie! Does that mean we’ll finally get to know the man that has been occupying you so much you don’t call your parents anymore?”

She could hear the amused tone in her mother’s voice, knowing that she didn’t take it personally that she hadn’t called in a while.

“I’ve also been working a lot lately, mom. But I’m sorry I haven’t called.”

“It’s alright, dear. We know you have a busy life. As long as you keep coming back home for the holidays! We can’t wait.”

“Me neither! I’ll text you as soon as I know exactly when Geralt and I will be there. I reckon it’ll be sometime in the afternoon on the 24th.”

“Alright. See you then, honey.”

“Bye mom”

She hung up and snuck back into bed where Geralt was still sleeping under a pile of throw pillows. She gently tucked a strand of brown curls behind his ear and sweetly kissed the corner of his mouth.

“I need to get ready for work, care to join me in the shower?”, she whispered in his ear, his cheek twitching under the tickling of her hair.   
Instead of an answer he turned on his back, his hand sneaking from under the pillow around her waist and pulling her on top of him. She loved that he was as relentless as her and giggled when his beard tickled below her jaw as he peppered her throat with kisses. 

^^^^

Describing his current mental state as nervous was an understatement. He had fought men twice his breadth, confessed to his mother that he had broken her favourite vase when he was a child, admitting to the scary old witch across the street that it had been him who had kicked a football through her window, and plucked up the courage to ask out the most popular girl in high school in front of her friends. Those situations didn’t begin to compare to the way his heart hammered in his chest and how his knees wobbled as if they’d give out under him any minute.

He felt sweat running down his spine despite the freezing temperatures and looked over to Yennefer to remind himself why he was doing this. Of course, it was for her. He’d do anything to make her happy and this was exactly the reason why he was so afraid of screwing this up. Getting to know the parents was stressful enough and it didn’t matter if you were 17 or 27. Additionally, during the holidays families tended to unload all the tension that had been building throughout the year and even the most peaceful relative could explode at such gatherings. He couldn’t risk that for his first meeting of Yennefer’s parents, he desperately wanted to make a good impression and had even shaved to soften his gruff looks. Her family was important to Yennefer and if he wanted to keep her by his side, he’d better bend over backwards to make sure they liked him as well.

“Are you okay? You look a bit stiff”, Yennefer asked, running her hand soothingly up his arm.

“Just a little nervous”, he managed to press out before taking her hand in his, the contact steadying him. “Tell me their names again?”

“My mom’s name is Tissaia, my dad’s name is Emiel. Don’t overthink this, they’ll love you. Don’t worry!”, she quipped and swiftly rang the doorbell.

The door was opened by a woman who was clearly and unmistakably Yennefer’s mother. Black hair in an elegant updo, her festive yet classy dress partially hidden beneath an apron and a smile so infectious, he forgot why he was nervous. The wrinkles around her eyes and mouth gave him a quick glance at what Yennefer could look like in 30 years and found that the idea of that spread a warm feeling inside his chest.  
Yennefer and her mother embraced each other wholeheartedly and erupted in excited chatter which was only disrupted as the latter laid eyes on him over her daughter’s shoulder. 

“You must be Geralt, then?”, she beamed at him.

“Nice to meet you, ma’am. Thank you very much for the invitation.” He smiled politely and extended his right hand.

“Oh, no need to be so formal, love. You’re part of the family now!” Before Geralt could process her sentence, he was promptly pulled into a motherly embrace by the much smaller woman and returned it swiftly.

“Mom!”, Yennefer’s exasperated cry was instantly shushed by the addressed but she released her hold on him and he felt a sheepish grin lift the corners of his mouth. It seemed as if her mother liked him so 50% success rate so far. He figured her father would be much more difficult, as fathers of only daughters tended to be when they brought home a boy – no matter the age. 

Two steps into the hallway, Geralt could see where Yennefer had gotten her affinity for Christmas decorations, they were greeted by the man of the house. Yennefer launched herself right into his arms, her father pressing a kiss to the top of her head as if she were a child still. 

“Dad, this is Geralt.”, she motioned to him and smiled brightly, beckoning him towards her with her outstretched hand. He squared his shoulder and took Yennefer’s hand with his left, once again extending his right which was received in a steady handshake. 

“Nice to meet you, sir. Happy holidays.” 

“Happy holidays.”, he grumbled and though not unfriendly Geralt sensed he wasn’t out of the woods, yet. 

“Eggnog anyone?”, her mother called from the kitchen and he gladly took the offered cup, thankful for the interruption of the tense silence and for something do with his hands. Having mastered the initial greetings, the evening went on pleasantly. They made easy conversation, talked about this and that and Geralt felt himself relax more and more. Tissaia turned out to be a prodigy in the kitchen and he had to almost physically fight her from helping him to thirds because his waistband felt like bursting. Yennefer had also eaten more than he had ever seen her eat in the last months and was now throwing him drowsy smiles while stroking their entwined hands below the table.

He was currently talking to Emiel about his summers at the farm and the best way to get rid of pests in crops, when he gave his wife a look over the table that resulted in her announcing she better get going on cleaning the kitchen or she would not get a minute of sleep tonight and she would appreciate some help. Yennefer, who seemed to have gotten the hint, jumped from her seat and volunteered, leaving with her mother after pressing a quick kiss to Geralt’s cheek.  
He swallowed hard. Now came the inevitable but no less uncomfortable talk he had been dreading.

Emiel cleared his throat and fully turned in his seat to face Geralt. 

“So, Geralt. As you are surely aware, Yennefer is my only daughter and dearer than life itself to me. I might be an old man but believe me when I say I can and will raise hell on you personally if ever I ever hear you hurt her. Got it?”

“Absolutely!”, Geralt hurried to answer. “Rest assured that I will do everything in my power to make Yennefer happy as long as she’ll have me.” He was serious and hoped his tone could convey the emotion behind it. 

“Well, now that that’s out the way: welcome to the family, son. I’m glad my dear daughter’s choice in men seems to have improved.” He chuckled to himself and Geralt filed that information away for a later time. 

“There is something I wanna show you. Tell my wife and I’ll kick you out of my house.” He winked but Geralt didn’t doubt for a second that he meant what he’d said.

^^^^^^

Yennefer was happier than ever. It was the night before boxing day, she was back at her parent’s house with a full belly and slightly tipsy from one too many glasses of wine and the scent of home and to top it all off, her parents seemed to like Geralt. She was relieved that everything had gone smoothly, especially after the fiasco that had taken place the last time she had brought a boyfriend home.

She shook all thought about this rather nasty incident from her mind and instead focussed on the clock that was rhythmically ticking away. It had been ages since she and her mother had left the table and when they had come back to the table, her father and Geralt were nowhere to be found. She had talked to her mother for a bit and then decided to turn in for the night but couldn’t fall asleep. She had become so used to sleeping next to Geralt that she had developed a dependency on him for getting good sleep.  
After tossing and turning for ten more minutes she got up and tiptoed down the stairs as to not wake up her mother. Wrapped tightly in her robe she looked around the house when she could suddenly hear something clanking together, followed by two deep voices laughing. She followed the noise and found her father and Great sitting on upturned buckets in the garage with red cheeks and laughing boomingly, each a glass in hand. 

“What are you doing here?”

Both men snapped their attention in her direction, attempting to hide their glasses as if she had caught them red-handed at doing something forbidden.

Her father caught himself first. “Yenna, honey it’s you. For a second, I thought you might be your mother. Sit. I am currently showing Geralt my progress with my little distillation hobby.” He grinned at her conspiratorially.

“Dad, mom knows that you’ve moved your ‘laboratory’ to the garage. She’s not stupid, you know”, she laughed but sat nevertheless.

“It’s a fine product”, Geralt slurred a little and toasted his glass to her father’s.

“Yes, seems you’ve both enjoyed it very much.” Yennefer nipped at her glass and thought her throat had caught fire. She poured the rest behind her when nobody was looking while happily listening to the animated conversation the men shared. 

She smiled to herself. It seemed her dad had really warmed up to Geralt and the way they were bonding meant a lot to her. All too soon though, her toes started to freeze off and she stood, wished them both a good night and whispered into Geralt’s ear that he better not make her wait much longer.

She wasn’t even halfway through the living room when she heard Geralt wish her father a good night and coming after her. Initially, it felt a little weird to sleep with him in her teenage bedroom but all thought soon vanished from her mind, the sex slow and intimate and not about pleasure but deep connection and trust. They lay entangled in each other afterwards, exchanging soft caresses when she heard him whisper: “I love you, Yen”

She looked up, his eyes soft and vulnerable. Even though he was spending Christmas with her parents they actually hadn’t officially established that they were in a relationship and neither of them had confessed their love before. Everything had just fallen into place, it had felt natural that way, their exclusivity and dedication to each other unspoken but crystal clear. 

His statement made her heart clench and she found herself on the brink of crying by his heartfelt words. She pressed her lips to his and tried to pour everything into the kiss, before looking back into his eyes.

“I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used Tissaia's name for her mother because I couldn't think of another "motherly" figure to Yennefer. I do realise that the name is the only thing I borrow from Andrzej Sapkowski's character so just roll with it :-)
> 
> I always love hearing your thoughts in the comments - good, bad, everything is welcome!
> 
> Thanks for reading.


	6. CHAPTER FIVE: the quarrel of lovers is the renewal of love

The new year approached quickly and so did the daily routine. Yennefer had had the Christmas days off but work returned with ferocity for her as alcohol poisoning, physical fights between families and, the closer they got to New Year’s Eve, blown off fingers and other firework-related injuries, skyrocketed. 

Geralt wouldn’t have to go back into work until the 3rd January, but found himself unable to enjoy his free time when Yennefer would be in and out of the apartment at ungodly hours and spend her waking hours complaining about sore feet, her aching back, and the general stupidity of people.

He knew he should have taken the opportunity of her relaxation the stay at her parents had put her in, and tell her about his plans for New Year’s Eve. This year, as every year before, he would drive into the countryside to his uncle’s farm and have beers and blow shit up with Eskel and Lambert, his two best friends that he had spent every summer with him since he was a little boy. Now, he realised, was not a good time to tell her that he intended to spend his last few days off exactly the way the people did that she vituperated so passionately. He had to tell her eventually though and every day that went by would make this worse.

He knew that she would have the 30th off to prepare for the hell that would surely break loose on the 31st and the following night so he chose this day to ensure she was in the best of moods. Lambert would likely kick his ass if he’d catch a whiff of the submissive-boyfriend-tour he was doing right now but he couldn’t find it in him to care. He just wouldn’t tell the boys and if Yennefer would hopefully just accept that he wanted to keep up his traditions, the new year would start more pleasantly for everyone. He would just tell her they’d have a few beers and watch the fireworks from afar. 

Geralt had gotten up before her, making sure to let her sleep in as this was the first crucial step to ensure Yennefer would be in a good mood. As soon as he heard her rousing, he greeted her with a cup of coffee and positioned her robe and fluffy slippers on the radiator so she could slip into them after her shower. He would have breakfast ready by then, followed by some trash TV. When they would be cuddled together on the sofa, he would approach the sticky subject.  
His plan was interrupted by a needy Yennefer that refused to get out of bed before Geralt would join her in the sheets again, and of course, he indulged her. Sporting a straining erection and a close case of blue balls, he gave it his everything to bring her pleasure as often as he could before he would pass out from lack of oxygen. After the third time she finally had mercy with him and rode him to completion in a way that made him forget what his plans were for the day.   
Entangled limbs and drying sweat slowly starting to register on his mind again he leaned over to softly kiss her closed eyelids.   
“What about breakfast?”, he hummed. “Would you like pancakes or avocado toast?”

“Avocado toast, please”, she purred. “And a big glass of apple juice. I’m parched!”

He laughed and jumped out of bed. Using the time she would surely need before finally getting up he jumped into the shower as well before getting breakfast started.

Belly full, dressed in warm, comfy clothes, and snuggled on top of his chest, he figured she’d be in a good enough mood to finally get this over with.

“So, what is it that you want to tell me?”

He looked at her dumbstruck.

“What?”, he said, cocking his head.

“Oh Geralt, don’t play stupid. I know that you’ve been making sure I have everything I could possibly need today, even more than usually. So, what is it?”

He grumbled. “What gave me away?”

“Letting me sleep in, your determination to suffocate yourself between my thighs this morning, followed by the breakfast service and that you willingly submitted yourself to trash TV. It’s the combination of everything, really.” She laughed whole-heartedly and propped her chin on her hands.

“Well, no point denying it now, I guess.” He avoided her eyes. “I just wanted to make sure you have a nice day off before work tomorrow. I know you said it’s always crazy stressful and everything.”

“That is really nice of you”, she leaned forward and kissed his nose.

“And.”

“I knew it.” She rolled her eyes, her smile not leaving her lips.

“And I wanted to let you know I won’t be home when you get off work because I’ll be spending New Year’s Eve with Eskel and Lambert. The guys I worked with on the farm, you know? I’ve told you about them.”

Her smile fell and he mentally prepared himself for the uncomfortable talk that was about to unfold.

“ _The_ Lambert and Eskel you’ve known since your childhood? The ones you did all the shit with that account for half of the scars on your body including the big one on your face that almost cost you your eye sight?”

“If you mean the Eskel and Lambert that are my best friends since I’ve been able to walk, who have picked me up when I was sad that my mom couldn’t afford to send me to summer camp with my school friends, who had my back every time I got into a fight with those god awful neighbours that beat my ass more time I can count, then yes I mean those”

She sat up and crossed her arms in front of her chest. He sat up as well.

“And now you’re telling me, after all the stories I have told you about the horrible things that happen when you mix alcohol, testosterone and fireworks, that you want to be part of the blown off fingers at New Year’s Eve statistics?”

“I am telling you, that I, a grown ass man, will be spending New Year’s Eve with my friends, drinking a couple of beers! I can watch myself and my fingers. I still have all ten if you haven’t noticed and I’ve spent the last years doing exactly that: mixing alcohol, testosterone and fireworks. Some might call it ‘having fun’, you know?”  
His voice was getting angrier. Why was he even fighting about this? He could see Lambert before his inner eye, laughing at him for losing his balls as soon as he got some pussy.

“Well, can that grown-ass man say no when his friends try to get him to do stupid things?”, she started screaming as well.

“I don’t have to justify this, Yen. I am not sitting at home, on New Year’s Eve, alone, while my girlfriend is working, like some henpecked idiot!”

As soon as these words had left his mouth, he regretted them. He could see in her face that he had gone too far.

“Yen, I’m sorry! I didn’t -“

“No.” She huffed. “You did mean that.” She got up and started picking up her things. “I should go. I have a busy day tomorrow.” She rushed around the place and stuffed her clothes into her bag. He had jumped from the couch as well and started pacing.

“Yen, don’t be dramatic.”

“You don’t get to call me dramatic, Geralt! If taking a reasonable and genuine concern of a loved one seriously is being, what did you call it? Right, “henpecked”, then go ahead! Go feed your stupid, fragile, patriarchally-constructed male ego with some beers and things that go Boom. Be my guest! But don’t you dare come crawling back with a missing finger and a hangover when your fun little boy scout trip is over!” 

He didn’t get a chance to answer anything to that as she had already slammed the door shut behind her.

He let out a long breath and flopped down on the couch. So much for just telling her about his plans. He had royally fucked up and he had no chance to fix this immediately. She surely wouldn’t listen to him now and he would have to be on the road by tomorrow morning if he wanted to make it in time.   
He decided to let them both cool down. She needed to focus on work tomorrow and he didn’t want to ruin his own plans so he might as well just forget about this and pick up the shambles later. 

^^^^

She was positively fuming. How dare he? She had really thought that the bulky, beard-and-scars-look had just been the outside. The Geralt she had gotten to know in the last weeks, the Geralt that had spent rainy days and even Christmas with her had been so different. Guess she had been wrong. Like so many times before. She rolled her eyes at herself. She had always been infamous for her taste in men but she always knew what she had gotten into. Not this time apparently.   
If Geralt wanted to get drunk and blow his fingers off with his friends, fine. He could just go ahead. What did she even care? But that was the problem – she did care! 

She didn’t want him to get hurt. 

She may have acted like his mother but he had been a real asshole – henpecked her ass! Ugh! She had to stop thinking about this and calm down. If she wanted to be focussed tomorrow, she needed to relax and go to bed early. Maybe have a glass of wine and call Triss about this. 

-

“Hi Yenna, are you alright?”

“Triss, I’m sorry I’ve only been calling you when I have problems…can I vent for a second?”

“Of course, Yenna. What’s wrong?”

She proceeded to tell Triss everything about the fight they’d had, got into detail about intonation, facial expression and choice of words. When she finished, she was really angry again and waited for her friend’s verdict. 

“So, what do you think? Did he act like a dick or did he act like a dick?”

“Yenna, I love you and I see your point but I also see his…. you kinda overreacted. While I don’t approve of his choice of words there is nothing wrong with spending New Year’s Eve with friends and some beers, you know?”

Yennefer let out a long breath. Shit. She would not apologise though.

“Okay, I guess. Still, he said some pretty hurtful things. Am I really being that oppressive? Is he henpecked?”

“You can be a lot, but it’s up to him if he can deal with it or not. It wasn’t fair of him. If he’s feeling henpecked then that’s his problem. Not yours! Just chill for a little.   
Work will take your mind off it and when he’s back you two’ll just talk it out. It’s gonna be alright.”

She let out a long breath.

“Ok, well I appreciate your honesty. Thanks, Triss. You’re right again. Please let me know how I can repay you for all of this?”

“You could fly me in for the wedding, first class of course”, Triss laughed her bell-like laughter. “Love you, Yenna. I think you’ve found yourself a good one. You’ll work it out”.

“Love you, too. I’ll let you know about those flight tickets.”

She hung up and plugged her phone in to charge before emptying the rest of her glass into the sink and going to bed. 

^^^^

Geralt woke up in a sour mood, the events of the day before still bugging him. It was no use to dwell on it though, so he might as well just get up and on the road. It was a long drive and the sooner he left the sooner he would be able to take his mind of his spat with Yennefer and trade it for some fun and beers and inappropriate jokes with the guys. He had packed his bag the night before and set off after a quick shower and breakfast. 

He pulled into the driveway with his windows rolled down despite the freezing cold, blaring music and thus, announcing his arrival. The greeting committee seemed to be complete as he could see two figures approaching from the barn. 

“Geralt! Didn’t think you’d make it this year! Rumour has it you’re tied down at the moment.”

“Shut up, Lambert. I’m here, aren’t I?”

Lambert was the youngest of the three but made up for his lack in years with offensive language. He could be an ass but he was also a loyal friend that Geralt could always count on. He supposed he hadn’t been hugged as a child a lot and never learnt how to show affection but once you got past his gruff exterior, Lambert could be a great guy. 

“Geralt, good to see you! It’s been some time”

“Eskel!” They embraced each other, loudly thumping on each other’s backs. 

Where Lambert was hard, Eskel was not, and the other way round. He’d had a nasty riding accident in his childhood that resulted in some gruesome scars across his face, making him look dangerous and frightening to the general public. On the inside, though, Eskel was soft, he looked out for his friends and was never shy to extend a helping hand.

“No need to get out of the car, we’re running errands and you’re driving.” Lambert climbed into the backseat, Eskel shrugging and following after. 

Geralt looked at the shopping cart. “So, we have beer, beer, beer and beer. Are we missing something?” He laughed and nudged Eskel’s arm. 

“What about something to eat, maybe? And, oi Lambert, did you get the fireworks already?”

“Uhm, am I getting drunk tonight? Am I gonna eat my weight in hot dogs? What’s with the dumb questions, Eskel? Of course, did I get the fireworks!”

“A simple yes would have sufficed”, he grumbled in Geralt’s direction and both men laughed.

They returned to the farm half an hour later with a literal truckload of beer and hotdogs and Geralt couldn’t get the smile off his face. He went straight to the kitchen to free some space in the fridge and get some plates for the hot dogs when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He instantly ripped it out, almost dropping the plates.

“Waiting for your good night text?” He quickly put his phone down, feeling caught red-handed. 

“Nice to see you, Lambert”

“So, are you? You’re having this look on your face. Last time I’ve seen that on you, you spent the next few days sulking alone in your room. Eskel and I had to pick up your chores, too!”

“It’s nothing.”

“Sure. Then why are you taking so long? Eskel is gonna burn the hot dogs so move your ass.”  
Geralt huffed and threw one last glance at his phone. “Just an e-mail”, he said to himself, then grabbed some beers and followed after Lambert.  
When he got outside Eskel and Lambert were indeed trying to salvage the non-burnt parts of the hot dogs, Lambert wrestling the tongs out of Eskel’s hands and loudly proclaiming he would now do the flipping. Geralt’s liquid piece offerings were quickly accepted though and the three soon settled down in the living room to warm up again.

“So, you wanna address the elephant in the room already so we can move on and enjoy this night?”

“Leave him be, asshole”, Eskel intervened before Geralt could say something. “If he wants to talk about it, he’ll talk about it.”

“What do you guys even mean?”, Geralt rolled his eyes. 

“What we mean is that whoever that girl is you’re seeing right now; she’s got you whipped! You never call anymore; we don’t get an answer to if you’re coming here this year until yesterday. You must have the most incredible sex, otherwise I can’t explain what’s gotten your priorities all fucked up.”

“Excuse me?”, Geralt couldn’t believe his ears. “I’m sorry, princess. Are you in love with me or why are so upset I didn’t call? It’s not like conversations with you are that pleasant as you’ve just proved again.”

“Touchy subject I see”, Lambert taunted. 

“She’s not got me whipped! I wouldn’t be here if I was now, would I?”

“Alright!”, Eskel boomed, having both Geralt and Lambert look at him in shock. Eskel usually didn’t get loud but when he did, they both knew it was time to shut up. 

He could easily whoop both their asses if he chose to and they were wise enough pipe down.

“Now, Geralt. If you want to, you can tell us what’s bothering you. We will listen, we won’t judge but if you don’t, that’s fine as well but then please stop brooding and looking at your phone every two minutes.”

Everything was quiet for a minute before Geralt drew in a deep breath. 

“You wanna know what’s bothering me? I’ll tell you.” 

Geralt couldn’t remember if he’d ever been this honest with his friends. Even with Jaskier he never really talked about feelings but this fight with Yennefer was getting to him more than he had realised until now. He hated Lambert for pushing him this hard but on the other hand he could feel his chest lighten with every word he told. When he finished with her rushing out the door and him packing his stuff and driving here, he stared at them expectantly.

“I don’t see what her problem is. You’ve done this loads of times and you’re no boy anymore that can’t watch his fingers when he’s lighting fireworks. She’ll calm down eventually.” Lambert shrugged and leaned back in his chair, taking a hearty bite out of his hot dog.

“I think so as well. She’ll come around. Also, it wouldn’t bother you so much if you didn’t care about her. Make sure she knows that.”

He contemplated both responses, filtering the real message from Lambert’s comment and coming to the same conclusion. They would figure this out when he came back, there was no need to ruin the one time a year that he saw Lambert and Eskel.

“Alright, guys. Thanks.” He raised his beer. “Now, let’s get the traditional buzz started, shall we?”  
They clinked their bottles together, toasting to the night.

^^^^

Just as predicted, work was hell. Yennefer always thought she had seen everything in her work at the hospital but every year around the holidays she was proven wrong again and again. You had the classics: palpability among family members, knife cuts and burns that came with all the cooking and the ever-present injuries that stemmed from handling fireworks. The people never disappointed when it came to creativity, though; so far, she had also treated a corkscrew that had been lodged in a man’s thigh and turkey baster from – what else – a mortified teenager’s rectum. Why did people still stick things where they didn’t belong?   
Never do anything you wouldn’t want to explain to the paramedics was a motto she kept preaching but it seemed to take a personal experience to get this message into people’s skulls. 

It was getting progressively later and ambulance after ambulance rolled into the parking lot. She had lost count of the fingers that would never make their way back to their owners and couldn’t help but think of Geralt and what he was doing right now. She just hoped he’d be responsible and even though she had no reason to believe he wouldn’t be she was still worried. 

Her call with Triss resonated in her thoughts and she had had her phone in hand every free second she’d had but every sentence she had started to type she had instantly deleted. Why was apologising so hard? Right, because she still felt she was right. She agreed with Triss that the delivery had been anything but smooth but her point still stood. If Lambert was half the idiot Geralt’s stories made him to be she would resort to praying soon. The quite graphic display of what could very well also happen to Geralt made her thoughts go in rounds. Apart from the fact that she would dearly miss the finger, more or less depending on which finger it would be exactly, he was also far from civilisation on that farm and all of them would be drinking and it would take ages for him to get to the nearest E.R.

Two hours and several emergencies later, it was nearing midnight now, her pride had finally submitted and she was currently hiding in a supply room to text him. She had reached the conclusion when she had thought about how she would have reacted if it had been the other way around. She would have gone mental had he tried to talk her out of her plans. It really was his right to spend New Year’s Eve the way he wanted, even more so since meeting with his friends was a year-long tradition and she was at work anyways.

_Sorry I’ve been such a bitch. I swear I was only worried about you…I really do hope you’re having fun tonight and I know you’ll be careful. I’m looking forward to my first kiss in the new year._

The three dots indicating that he was typing appeared almost immediately and she gripped her phone tightly in apprehension. ‘Please don’t let me regret apologising first’, she thought. She couldn’t take the humiliation should he use this as a triumph over her.

_I might have acted like a douche about it. Can’t wait either. Be careful._

Ok, that had actually not been that hard. His message let her drop her shoulders she hadn’t noticed were hunched up in stress. She was glad he would leave it at that, though maybe they should talk about this face to face when he came home but until then she could fully concentrate on her work and focus on the tasks at hand. If the turmoil that was going on in the hallway outside the supply room, she was standing in was anything to go by, a new case had just arrived. She stored her phone safely away in her pocket and went outside to face the storm that would likely only get worse until the end of her shift. 

She hadn’t even noticed that the old year now lay behind her but as she turned to look at the clock in the hallway, her heart sank a little at the fact that another New Year’s Eve had just passed without a kiss even though she would have loved one from a certain someone. She took a second to think about Geralt really hard and imagine him wrapping his arms around her, pressing her to him and kissing her deeply, making her lose every sense of time and space except for the feeling of him against her. She sighed audibly but quickly resumed organising the bandaging materials she was holding when she noticed a nurse staring at her. 

The rest of her shift went by in a haze of screaming, crying, blood and the general rush of an E.R. that was filled to the brim. When 5am finally rolled around she clocked out, completely drained, and made her way home. 

She checked her phone on the way to her door and found a message from Geralt.

_I’m thinking of you when I see all those pretty lights. I wish you were here. Happy New Year, Yen. I can’t wait to spend it with you._

She smiled and wanted to call him immediately but thought better of it at the last second. He was probably fast asleep by now and she didn’t want to wake him. They would surely see each other right after he came home and she could wait until then.   
Instead, she wrote a message back.

_Happy New Year, Geralt. Your plan sounds lovely, I’m in!_

Finally shutting the door behind her she didn’t even bother to hang her coat but instead simply dropped it to the floor where she stood. She would deal with this after she woke up.

‘I am so taking a three-hour bath tomorrow’, was the last thought she was able to form before sinking down on her bed and falling into a deep, dreamless sleep. 

^^^^

Geralt woke up with a foul taste in his mouth and skull-splitting headache. He groaned loudly and dragged his arm over his eyes to shut out the light coming through his lids, amplifying the pounding in his head. That only helped for a short amount of time and now that he was slowly waking up, he noticed an uncomfortable pressure on his bladder and a thirst as if he’d walked through a desert. He shuffled to the kitchen and downed a big glass of water, then proceeded to the bathroom. Bladder empty and teeth brushed he felt a little better and made his way back to the couch he had slept on.  
He found Eskel already sitting there, rolling his shoulders to probably chase away the stiffness in his neck and back from sleeping on the floor.

“Mornin’”, Geralt grumbled and Eskel just nodded head in greeting. “Rough night, huh?”, Geralt supplied and offered Eskel the glass of water he had brought back from the kitchen, who accepted it gratefully. 

“Is everything alright with you and Yennefer? I saw you hacking away at your phone at midnight. I know that Lambert can be an ass about absolutely everything but if you wanna talk….well, I’ll listen. Even if I can’t really offer any qualified advice.”

“Thanks, man. I appreciate it. She actually apologised and I did too and I think everything’s alright now. I’ll drive right to her place as soon as I can drive again. Which will probably be a while judging by my headache. Ugh.” He pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes.

“Glad to hear that. You seem really passionate about her, haven’t seen that from you ever if I think about it.”

“She’s something special, man. She really is”, Geralt couldn’t help the smile spreading on his face and clapped Eskel on the back in thanks.

“Let’s see if Lambert’s still breathing and get some breakfast started, shall we? Gotta fight that hangover with some food as long as we can get something down and keep it that way.”

They both laughed and rose from the couch, groaning as if they were 85 years old.  
Eskel found Lambert in the guest room where he had collapsed on the bed, fully clothed and his legs hanging of the edge. 

“Wake up, douchebag. We’re making breakfast and we need to get the house cleaned up.” Eskel nudged him with his boot and Lambert grumbled something illegible and tried to move away from the offending object. 

“Rise and shine, cupcake!”, Geralt tried. “Get your ass up. Pronto.” He also started prodding Lambert who started to wake up now. 

“’right, alright. Jesus. I’m up”, Lambert sounded as if he had a furball in his mouth. “Man, I’d kill for a glass of water and BLT sandwich right now.”

“We can help with the water, the sandwich you’ll have to make yourself, I’m afraid.” Eskel gave him the glass of water he was holding and then opened the curtains and windows to let in some fresh and freezing cold air. 

“That should wake us all up”, Eskel laughed and promptly received a pillow to the head from Lambert.

It took about three hours for them to make and eat breakfast, digest three aspirin each and get the house and grounds back in shape. A shower, a change of clothes and a hearty goodbye from Eskel and Lambert later, Geralt was finally back on the road in a rush to get back to Yennefer and finally make up completely. 

-

He ran up the stairs to her apartment and knocked on her door impatiently. He could hear her footsteps approaching the door and waisted no time when she opened it, sweeping her up in his arms, pressing a bruising kiss to her lips.  
She let out a little squeak of surprise before wrapping arms and legs around him and kissing him back passionately. 

“Happy New Year”, he breathed in between kisses, his head swimming from the smell of perfume in his nose, the tickle of her hair on his face, and the taste of her chapstick on his lips.

“Happy New Year”, she whispered back, her lips brushing on the shell of his ear and eliciting goose bumps on his skin. 

Reluctantly, he pulled away. As much he wanted to devour her whole right here on the spot, they needed to talk. “Yen”, he said, leaning his forehead to hers.

“Yes, Geralt. What is it?” she asked breathlessly, looking into his eyes, her gaze both affectionate and inquisitive. 

“I really want to put this behind us but we need to talk about our…disagreement.” He didn’t look her in the eyes, wanting to get his words out before his resolve left him. “The last thing I want to do is start another fight but I want to clear this so we can move on, ok? I was really angry when you tried to talk me out of meeting with Eskel and Lambert and now I know that you were just worried but I felt like you didn’t trust me at all.” It was more than he had talked in a long time and he knew he was probably rambling but he had said what he had wanted to and was now looking up into her deep pools of dark blue, waiting for her answer.  
She leaned back a little, however, her hands never leaving his neck.

“I didn’t want to mother you but you’ve said some pretty hurtful things, Geralt. I really want to put this behind us, too but you’ve got to swear that you’ll never say something like this again. Ever. I want us to talk about things like two adults. Alright?”

“I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean these words. I promise.”

“I believe you. And now kiss me, Geralt. We’ve talked enough.”

He didn’t need telling twice and dove right back in, taking her senses away along with his own.

^^^^

January stretched on but as soon as February had started, time began running again. Valentine’s Day flew by in a haze of big, romantic gestures that would have made her retch if she weren’t so in love. The amazing sex helped as well, she guessed.   
March started with the first few rays of sunshine and, although more the Winter type, Yennefer could feel her mood lift effortlessly. She had just finished her shift at the hospital and was on her way home when her phone vibrated in her purse. She pulled it out and a smile spread across her lips as she saw Geralt’s name on the screen.

“Hi handsome, how are you?”

“Hi Yen”, his dark voice sent a warm feeling to her belly. “I have something I wanna talk to you about. Can we meet at your place?”

“Sure, what is it? Are you in trouble or something?” This was very atypical of him and the phrase ‘I need to talk to you about something’ never bode well. 

“No, no. It’s all good – I think. I’ll see you soon. Bye”

“Ok then. Bye!” Astounded she put her phone away and hurried home.

Geralt was already waiting for her on her doorstep when she arrived and he pulled her to him, kissing her deeply.

“How was your day?”

She fumbled with the keys and threw a weary smile over her shoulder. “Work was ok but I have to admit that I’m kinda nervous right now. Why couldn’t you tell me on the phone?”

“If anything, I should be the nervous one.” He smirked at her conspiratorially and followed her into her apartment. He actually did look a little unsure so she offered him a beer to keep his hands occupied, which he gratefully accepted, then motioned her to sit.

“Ok, so remember I told you that we’ve had major changes in management lately, right?”

She just nodded, not wanting to interrupt his flow.

“One of the new bosses liked my work with that new client very much and we’ve talked and I told him about my pain-in-the-ass-commute and everything and he actually told me that some corporate-owned condos are freeing up in May and if I wanted one it’d be mine.”

“That’s great, Geralt!”, she beamed at him. His old apartment was alright but it wasn’t exactly in the best neighbourhood and the commute really was a bitch. 

“Yen, those are huge apartments in a really good neighbourhood. Even with the company rates I can’t really afford it. However.“ He dragged out that word to stop her intervention before it came out. “However, I also took the liberty of checking the way to the hospital from there and it’s actually quite convenient. I know that we’ve only been dating a few months by now and that it’s crazy but I love you, Yen. I really do and I think we can make this work. We’re always spending our time together anyways, so it really does make sense. We can go see the apartment tomorrow and I’ll understand if you don’t want to but I would love it if you’d move in with me.”  
Yennefer found herself staring at him with an open mouth but as soon as she saw his face fall, she pulled herself together. “Wait! It’s not a no!” She raised her hands placatingly. “You said we can go see the apartment tomorrow?”

The grin that split his face made her heart soar and she later found herself having trouble falling asleep due to excitement. She figured she eventually had fallen asleep as she was awoken by the nudge of something hard along her back. 

“Good morning”, a rough voice gravelled behind her, sending shivers down her back. “Good morning”, she purred back, grinding back on him. 

“If only you knew what I’d like to do to you right now”, he whispered in her ear, his arms around her waist pulling her even tighter to him. 

“I’ve got rough idea”, Yennefer tried to turn around to face Geralt but found herself unable to. When she started whining, she could suddenly feel a wet tongue trace the shell of her ear. “I’m afraid you’ll have to be patient, dear. We’re running late.”

Last night’s conversation came flooding back to her mind and the frustrations of their exchange vanished instantly as she wriggled her way out of his arms.

“Right! I totally forgot! Let’s go, get up!”, she said. He sighed dramatically but soon climbed out of bed and got ready. 

^^^^

It was only a 20-minute-drive from Yennefer’s apartment and Geralt let out a shaky breath when he saw how Yennefer’s face lit up as they pulled into a parking spot across the street. He had been really nervous asking her to move in with him and the deal was still not closed but her reaction then and this morning gave him hope that he hadn’t completely overwhelmed her with his proposal. 

The apartment complex was an impressive six-story building with large windows and lavish balconies, the whole thing not older than 5 years and in one of the best districts of the town. The rent was actually amazing but still a little high for him alone and if he was honest with himself, he was actually glad to have that excuse for asking her to move in with him. 

Yennefer held on tightly to his hand as they rode up to the apartment together with the estate agent. As she droned on and on about the perks of the apartment, he pretended to listen to her to let Yennefer roam the rooms freely. She stopped at every window to take in the view, let her hand glide across the marble countertops in the kitchen and let out an incredulous laugh at the sight of the gigantic, king-sized bed in the bedroom.

“As you can clearly see the bathroom has not only a generous shower but also a free-standing bathtub with view over the adjoining park.”, the real estate agent pointed out. Geralt had to give her credit for still trying so hard to sell them the apartment when it had been clear as day that Yennefer had fallen utterly in love with it as soon as her feet had touched the hardwood floors. As he watched her inspect every nook and cranny of the apartment, she turned to him and cast him a glance that let him know that there was no way around them moving in here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at them solving their issues like to adults. This might be a little OOC for them but I hope I did them justice anyways. 
> 
> Next chapter will be a little bonus (that will not involve a lot of plot if ya know what I mean)


	7. Bonus Chapter: Home sweet home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've reached the halfway mark and to celebrate I am gifting you approx. 3k words of pure, filthy smut. Absolutely no plot.
> 
> Enjoy!

“That’s the last box! Finally!”, Yennefer let said box fall to the ground in front of her, wiping her sweaty brow with the sleeve of her shirt. 

“I didn’t even realise I had all this stuff; I just hope we can fit it all in here”, she laughed at that, gesturing at all the half-unpacked boxes that were already littering every countertop and space on the floor. 

“Maybe you could let go of some of your clothes?”, Geralt carefully ventured, ready to back off any second. 

She seemed to really contemplate this then walked over to one of the countless boxes in the hallway next to the bedroom. She opened one of them, pulling out a lacy black negligée.

“You’re right. I should throw this out. It’s not very pretty either, is it?”, she taunted playfully, dancing out of his reach as he tried to snag it from her grasp. 

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it”, he snarled, a predatory gleam entering his eyes. 

She squealed in delight and turned to run from him, but he was quicker, snatching her around the waist and throwing her onto the bed. His hands caged her head in, his knees restricting the movement of her legs. 

“Looks like you got me”, she breathed, her chest falling and rising rapidly. 

He dipped down and kissed her slowly and deeply, savouring the taste of her lips and the smell of her shampoo. She nestled up against him and wriggled her hips around to get leverage. He lifted one knee for her to free her leg only to push hers wide apart, her legs closing around his middle. He ground into her slowly and groaned at the electrical feeling the friction elicited in him. Her reaction was similar, a needy moan leaving her lips which he sealed immediately with his.

She was getting impatient and tugged at the hem of his shirt, pulling it over his head and roaming her hands over the broad planes of his chest. She loved the feeling of him above her, it gave her a sense of complete and utter surrender in a way she enjoyed. It allowed her to hand over all control, all need to think or make decisions but instead just receive whatever he was willing to give to her.   
She aided him in ridding her of her own shirt and the leggings that she wore, then threw her head back in pleasure as he started his assault on her skin. Her sports bra was quickly pushed out of the way and she pulled her own panties down as he did the same with his pants. 

Impatiently, he pulled her closer to him again and pushed into her, desperate to finally be inside her. She closed her eyes and revelled in the feeling of him stretching her and urged him closer with both the legs on his back and her arms around his shoulders. 

He set a slow rhythm at the beginning but quickly sped it up, making her see stars and her belly clench with arousal. Yennefer didn’t care that their new neighbours might hear them and let the noises flow from her mouth without restraint. This seemed to cheer him on as he pulled her right leg up to his shoulder and thrust into her with even more vigour. She couldn’t do anything more than simply hang on for dear life but as he didn’t seem to mind this, she didn’t waste another thought on it apart from the mental note she made to pay him back in kind later. 

The grunts spilling from Geralt told her that he was getting close, so she set to work on her neglected clit. Her hand was soon shooed away by his and she gladly accepted him taking over. When she finally came, she rode through each wave and quiver like a surfboard on the ocean, taking him over the edge with her.   
When their breaths had calmed down, she could hear a deep chuckle rumble in his chest.

“Welcome home, Yen.” He kissed her temple and stroked her hair.

“Welcome home.” She loved the sound of that.

^^^^^

They had lived in the apartment for a few weeks now and Yennefer had finally unpacked her last box. They still stared out the gigantic window opposite their bed every morning to take in the view and bask in each other’s presence and the feeling of waking up next to each other every morning.   
He slowly pried her hands off him and slunk off to the bathroom to get a head start on the shower before she woke up. He was about to grab the shower gel when he heard the bathroom door opening. 

“Mind if I join you?”

Before he could answer anything a small gust of cold air announced that she had opened the glass door to the shower and soon after he could feel her hands run along his back and around him, taking the shower gel out of his hands. She lathered the soap up between her hands and massaged the suds into his skin. 

He closed his eyes at the sensation. 

She lightly bit his shoulder followed by a soothing kiss and the feeling of it in combination with her hands working the muscles in his back made him hardly hold back a groan.

“Turn around, love”, she whispered, her fingers tracing the lines of his hips and the V shape on his lower stomach. His hands found their way to her hips easily, sliding up and down her wet body. While she took extra good care of washing his abs, he shamelessly stared at the water running down her breasts, a little waterfall dripping from her nipples.  
He braced his feet and spun her around so her back was against the tiles, a short scream coming out of her at the feel of the cold tiles against her back. The shock of that was quickly forgotten, however, as he hoisted her up by the underside of her thighs and pressed her into the wall. 

The shower gel made this a slippery challenge, but she clung to him with all her strength and so the soap aided in the slide of skin against skin. She slid down back on her feet but hooked one knee into his elbow to allow him entrance. He nibbled on her neck, his beard scratching at the sensitive skin there and she repaid him by running her nails along his back.   
The snap of his hips was alternating between slow and fast, deep and shallow. She stood on the tip of her toes to get him to fill her just the right way, but it was quickly becoming exhausting. He was getting impatient and tried to correct his angle several times but never seemed to find just the right one. 

Geralt snarled with frustration and pulled out, her protest instantly silenced by him turning her around, pulling her hips to his and pushing her cheek against the cool tiles. Her hands came up to grab the shower head mounting to balance herself and she set one foot on the brim of the shower to ease his way back in. He bottomed out with one smooth thrust, the new position finally giving him the angle he was searching for.   
It didn’t take long now for him to finish with a few last, irregular but almost bruising snaps of his hips, holding her to him as he rode out his high. He pulled out breathing heavily and pressed several kisses to her shoulder and the side of her throat.

“Let’s finish washing up and then it’s your turn, hm? How does that sound?”, he murmured in her ear and she turned around, kissing him deeply before reaching for the shower gel again. 

They dried off and went back to bed and her turn it was now indeed.

^^^^

Yennefer found herself being utterly restless. The second she sat down to watch TV; her phone distracted her. As soon as she picked up her phone, she remembered that laundry still needed to be folded and she also still had to send that e-mail out she’d been putting off. No matter the activity, she couldn’t seem to focus on one thing. She blamed Geralt for this because her thoughts kept straying back to her dream last night, and the sex last week, and that one time in the bathroom of that bar. Gods, this man was a monster!

She loved it, though and jumped at every opportunity he presented. To her dismay, he had been out of town for a few days for a business trip and during this time she was reduced to a foul-tempered, irritated, horny mess. Sex with Geralt was like a drug to her; the more she had the more she wanted and his efforts to make up for his absence in advance had actually worsened the whole situation. He was bound to be home by tonight and she couldn’t wait.   
In order to make time go by faster she had showered, conditioned her hair, shaved, exfoliated and had put on a generous amount of lotion. She had also painted her nails and spent an eternity arranging her hair just the right way so everything would be perfect when he arrived. She had even put on a dark red lipstick, the one Geralt had complimented her on over dinner once.  
She wriggled around on her chair, pressing her legs together and promptly re-ignited the fire she had desperately tried to stifle with repetitive tasks and distractions. Giving up on that e-mail, she picked up her phone again and sent Geralt a text, followed by a picture of the lower half of her face and a sneak peek down her cleavage.

_How long until I have you back? I miss you!_

_Soon, Yen. I can’t wait either._ Followed by: _And gods, how I have missed this view_

She smirked. Why not get the party started in advance?

 _You like what you see?_ She wrote back, leaning back in her chair.

_You know I do. I also like that pretty mouth of yours, it’s been far too long since I last kissed you._

_You know that my lips are not the only part of me that miss your mouth…_

His next answer took a minute.

_Yen I know where this is going…You’re gonna be the death of me, woman. I still have a meeting and I’m this close to just dropping everything and running home_

_Please do! My fingers can only do so much, but they can’t compare to your glorious cock filling me_

She could basically see him struggle with supressing a moan while hiding his phone from view of his colleagues. 

_That’s it. I’m putting my phone away now but you’re gonna pay for this!_

She booked that as a success but couldn’t quite revel in it as she was even more desperate for him to come home now.

-

She perked up at the sound of the heavy front door opening and slamming shut and jumped to her feet. It was only a few flights of stairs that separated them now and she dashed into the bathroom, checking her curls, touching up her lipstick and swiftly dumping the dirty dishes in the sink.

Only a split second later a key turned in the lock of the apartment door and she wasted not even a moment before launching herself into his arms. He let his bags fall to the ground with a surprised shout, but caught her, and she wrapped her legs and arms around him, pressing desperate kisses to his mouth.

When she separated for air, he used his chance.

“Maybe I should be gone more often if this is the welcome I get after.” He grinned up at her, his heart beating faster as he sank into her violet eyes.

“Don’t you dare”, she breathed and dove right back in, kicking the door shut with her left foot. Annoyingly, she had to momentarily let go of him to get his coat and shirt off him but the feeling of his skin under her touch made it worth it. She navigated him to the couch where he sat down with a grunt as the air got knocked out of his lungs. Yennefer straddled his lap, her knees outside of his. She wasted no time in grinding down on him, having waited for this moment for what felt like an eternity. She was so glad to have him back and made a mental note to tell him later that she had missed more than just his body.   
For the moment though, his body is what she craved, and she couldn’t get enough of him. She relished in the feeling of his hands on her body, roaming along her waist, up from squeezing her breasts to down to her hips which he encouraged in their movements. 

His stubble rubbed at her chin and she soon focussed her attentions on his neck, her hands not leaving his hair while doing so. He let his head fall back with a groan, giving her better access and simply enjoyed her assault. She carefully kissed his Adam’s apple and continued her way down, pressing her nose in the dip between his collarbones, letting his chest hair tickle her chin.  
She opened her legs wider to slide down even further and slowly sank down to the floor, her hands now finally going down with her, tracing the lines of his chest and abs and finally resting just above his waistband. She breathed on the patch of skin right below his navel and looked up through her lashes, catching his half-lidded gaze and briefly smirking before going to work on his belt buckle.

“Yen”, he didn’t manage more than her name.

“I know. Relax.” She answered and with a firm tug and his aid pulled his pants down to his knees. She took his pants off completely and tossed them to the side, then settled her knees on a pillow right in front of him. Her fingers trailed up his legs along his thighs and carefully grazed his penis before wrapping her hand around him and slowly stroking it up and down once. His head had fallen backwards again so Yennefer focussed completely on the task at hand and gave his length a firm lick from base to tip before stroking him once more.

He’d never been the vocal type in bed and that was exactly why she kept her ears trained for every little huff and groan falling from his lips to guide her. She let her tongue flick around the tip and noticed a tensing in his abs when she licked the underside of the tip. Yennefer let her tongue slide along the length of him once more before taking the head in her mouth, her lips sealing around it. His right hand had found its way in her hair, gathering it at the back of her head to keep any strands from interrupting. She normally hated this, as it gave the man too easy leverage to thrust and she didn’t appreciate that. Blowjobs placed the power in her hands, and she preferred it stay that way. Geralt seemed to behave though and so she let him mess up her curls. 

His other hand had a death grip on his thigh, and it was a visual indicator of his state. She paid special attention to working the tip with her tongue and engulfed the rest with her right hand, her left steading her on his thigh. She painted patterns with her tongue and Geralt started shifting beneath her, so she ran her left hand across his skin to calm him. Yennefer started bobbing her head, taking in centimetre by centimetre, until she could feel it hit the back of her throat. She rested there a while, her tongue still swirling around in circles, then slid back up and let the tip plop from her lips. 

She caught his eyes, his wonderfully clouded eyes, for a second before she slid back down again, tearing a hoarse moan from him. The hand in her hair tightened and she gave a warning hum around him which he seemed to understand as he relaxed his grip instantly, mumbling a quick apology.  
Yennefer had lost track of time but decided that she had teased him enough and picked up the pace, using her left hand now to cup his balls occasionally. His head shot back up from the backrest of the couch and she looked up again, feeling him shiver when their eyes met. The quick up and down of her head seemed to drive him mad and soon after she could feel the first contraction of his balls.

“Yen, I’m close” he gasped, loosening the grip of his right hand so she could retreat any second.  
She imagined the way she looked right now; messy hair in his hand, her breasts pressed up against the sofa between his legs, her hands on him and her red-painted lips around his dick. She decided she would burn that imagine to his mental hard drive for ever and continued her torture in an even quicker pace, stroking the part of him she couldn’t fit in her mouth. When he came, she had to breathe hard through her nose and will herself to swallow but had herself quickly back under control.

She let go of him and he pulled her up, wiping with his thumb under her bottom lip before kissing her passionately. 

“Welcome back, love”

“It’s good to be home”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Funfact: While writing this I wore my bunny onesie - completely unsexy and further proof that a woman's biggest sexual organ is her brain lol
> 
> Also, women who get off on giving BJs are a force to fear, like damn.


	8. CHAPTER SIX: a change of heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go! Another chapter for you guys. Enjoy!
> 
> BTW I used a line from one of Sarah Millican's show. Tell me in the comments if you know her and if you've found that line!

Living together had treated them well so far – how couldn’t it have? The apartment was gorgeous, both their commutes had improved and even though their work schedules oftentimes limited their time together immensely they could make use of every second of free time without driving back and forth between two apartments.

Until recently, that free time had been mostly spent naked against any surface. Most neighbours were nice enough and since the building was a new one, the walls almost soundproof. Like every building though, they too had a single old lady, who unfortunately had the apartment right below them, that frowned upon them and their sinful behaviour so Yennefer and Geralt did what they could to avoid her. Apart from that minor hiccup, everything else had started out peachy.

However, Yennefer was a realist and understood not every day would be like a romantic comedy movie. She just hadn’t expected for things to cool off that quickly.  
In the back of her head she could hear the voice of a dear co-worker whom she had told that Geralt and her had moved in together.   
She was still angry at her words, which had been:” Do be careful of moving too fast. You’ve never really known someone until you’ve lived with them” 

She had mocked her in her thoughts a thousand times but when she came home from work and found the dishes on the countertop even though the dishwasher was empty, the laundry next to the laundry bin and the new roll of toilet paper on top of the empty roll of toilet paper _again_ she inwardly cursed.

‘You’ve never really known someone until you’ve lived with them’

Such utter fucking truth.

Generally, life with Geralt was perfect and she couldn’t believe her luck sometimes, but it was the little things that were slowly driving her up a wall. It didn’t seem to bother him that he left the kitchen a mess after cooking or to step over a piece of trash that had missed the bin. She doubted he did it with bad intentions but at times she felt like she was living with a toddler.

-

Summer was marching in on its peak and it was hot outside. Yennefer found herself lounging on the balcony beneath a parasol with a cold drink and a book in hand while Geralt loved to grill himself in the sun. He would tolerate her rubbing sunscreen on his back but if she didn’t remind him, he would simply burn and then complain about it later. It sometimes drove her mad.

Geralt’s birthday was coming up this Saturday and she had planned a weekend get-away for them both in the hopes of escaping the domestic duties as well as spending some quality time together. His job required him to be away on business trips more frequently now and her job was draining her of all the energy she might otherwise would have invested in sex. She had heard it from all her friends that were in long-term relationships; it starts out with them not being able to keep their hands off each other but ultimately, even the most active libidos calm down.   
Although she knew that this was normal and not automatically something to worry about, she sometimes couldn’t help but lay the blame at her own feet.

What if he just didn’t want her anymore? What if he was finally pissed off at her snippy comments or realised, he simply didn’t find her sexy in leggings, jumper and her hair in a bun? Or maybe he didn’t want as much sex now and it was only the beginning of their relationship that he accommodated her needs. She wasn’t sure she could handle either of these explanations.

It could be frustrating sometimes, and she guessed he felt the same way, as his initiatives were usually turned down by her as well. It seemed their respective moments of lust rarely matched, but there never seemed to be a good time to breach the topic. Even more a reason to look forward to the weekend trip.

Having been lost in thought for a while she closed the book as she hadn’t retained a single word she’d read the last six pages and instead turned towards Geralt.

“Are you excited for the weekend?”

An affirmative grunt came from him, he seemed to be half asleep, so she didn’t mind. 

“Well I’m gonna go pack and run to the grocery store so that I don’t have to worry about this tomorrow after work. I’ll pick you up right after my shift so remember to put your bag in the car before you leave, ok?”

“Hm”

She would check if he’d packed tonight to make sure. She sighed.

-

Geralt shifted in his seat. They’d been in the car for hours now and his legs were aching, and his butt felt flat as a pancake. The scenery was breathtaking, though and he focused his attention on the nature passing by. Yennefer had insisted on driving as to not give away their ultimate destination and he had been more than ok with that. She was an excellent driver and it gave him the possibility of taking a little nap or just playing on his phone.  
When the navigation system announced that their destination would be on their right in 2.5 miles he perked up. Yennefer had made a turn onto a road made of gravel which crunched under the tires and shortly after he could see clusters of little wooden houses around a beautifully glistening lake. 

“Is this where we’re staying?”, he asked turning towards Yennefer.

“Uh-Hm”, she nodded, a smile spreading on her face. 

Their cabin was beautiful and cozy, with big windows that illuminated the kitchen and living room area, a four-poster bed with about a hundred pillows and silk sheets which begged to be laid in, and a wooden terrace with a little pier and a ladder on the edge of the lake. 

“Yen, this is beautiful!” He picked her up and whirled her around in a circle, her laughter filling his ears and his heart. She leaned down to kiss him on the lips.

“I’m glad you like it”

They ate a snack, then rummaged through their bags for their swimming clothes and dove into the lake. The water was cold at first but a refreshing change to the hot air. Geralt chased her around and she climbed on his back to get the upper hand. Their splashing soaked their towels thoroughly and so they just lay down on the pier and dried in the sun. While the warm air and lazy breezes did their work, Geralt brushed his hand up and down her arm, occasionally locking his fingers with hers and looking at her profile. 

He could see drops glistening on her lashes and a blush blooming on her cheeks as she caught him staring at her.

“What is it?”, she asked quietly, shielding her eyes from the sun.

“Nothing, I just didn’t realise how much I needed this. I’m really happy right now.” 

Her smile became even wider and she rolled over on her stomach, closing the distance between them and letting her hand rest on his bare chest. “You wanna go inside? Dry off there? Because I’m still super….” She made a meaningful pause. “Wet.” 

He held her gaze as her words sunk in but as soon as his brain had grasped their meaning he was up at an instant, pulling her up with him and carrying her back inside to the bed. He put her back on her feet in the bedroom and slowly peeled the clammy swimsuit off her body before he laid her down on the silk covers. Her damp hair curled in ringlets around her head and he quickly shimmied out of his trunks before crawling on top of her. Her hand came to rest on his cheek, and they shared a slow and deep kiss, his left arm supporting his weight to free his right to caress her hips. She hummed in approval when his thigh slid between hers as he shifted his weight.   
“You know, I never got to repay you for that night after my business trip a few weeks ago.”

The memory of her kneeling between his legs, her red-painted lips wrapped firmly around him, made them both shudder.

“True”, she said, a smile playing on her lips. “High time you get on with it then”

He happily obliged and slid down her body, not without making a stop to pay generous attention to her breasts, before sliding of the edge of the mattress with his face right between her thighs. He could hear her draw a deep breath in anticipation, but he was determined to take his time with this. His hands smoothed up and down her legs and wriggled her around to get her into the perfect position. Geralt was eye to eye with her core now, his nose almost touching her skin. He breathed a long breath across her womanhood, and she groaned. Her legs had started to twitch and her feet came to rest on his shoulders. Geralt slid his middle and index finger up her folds to part them, then followed right behind with his tongue, applying pressure to her clit. Yennefer almost jumped from his grip but quickly settled against the mattress again and pressed her thighs to his cheeks to keep him close. He did this once more and then settled for a quicker pace up and down her clit while sliding two fingers inside of her. 

Yennefer seemed to agree with what he was doing and showed this by pressing her legs together even stronger and he feared she might crush his skull. ‘What a way to go’, he quickly thought to himself before freeing his right hand from her to indicate on her knee she should loosen a little. 

As soon as her grip had relaxed, he went back in, picking up the pace of his tongue and fingers. He was now pumping three fingers in and out of her, his tongue never parting contact with her clit, and she grew more restless by the second. Her hands had found their way into his hair again, pulling at strands and grabbing his locks in a way to guide him but by now her directions were all over the place and Geralt decided to just let her have her way with his hair. He was obviously getting something right, so he kept doing what he was doing and was rewarded with several breathless and almost desperate “Geralt” moans from her shortly after. 

He hummed, the vibrations spurring her on further. Geralt could feel a cramp in his jaw approaching and went in for the finale. He used both hands to spread her open before him, his tongue going in quick and strong circles around her clit until she flexed every muscle in her body and went still for a second before giving in and falling over the edge. He slowly stroked her through her high before relaxing fingers and jaw, pressing soft kisses to the inside of her left thigh.  
Yennefer let out a relaxed breath and crawled further up on the bed with Geralt following her. She had a lazy smile planted on her lips which he promptly kissed, enjoying her tender caress against his cheek and down his back. He rolled to his side and Yennefer slung her arms around her shoulders and hooked a leg around his waist. They lay this way for a while to catch their breaths but Geralt’s neglected erection wasn’t shy in demanding attention soon. 

She took the initiative and rolled Geralt on his back, straddling his hips. With a precise motion she reached between them and grasped him with a firm yet gentle grip and guided him inside her. She slid down all the way, more than adequately prepared by his previous efforts. He grunted loudly and she let out an undignified “Fuck” as he was fully settled within her but started moving soon after. Her hands steadying her next to his head and her toes pressed into the mattress for leverage, she began rocking up and down his length, her hips painting little figure eights and it left Geralt with nothing else to do but hold on and enjoy. 

He was obviously worked up from earlier and showed signs of his approaching orgasm quickly. She shifted her weight to her left hand and use the first two digits of her right to set a quick and effective pace on her clit to catch up. She rubbed herself to completion, her loud scream of ecstasy and the contraction of her muscles pulling Geralt in with her.   
She slid down onto his chest to relax through both their peeks before pulling off and shifting to his side.

“Wow” he breathed and pulled her closer to him, embracing her tightly and pressing his lips softly against every inch of her skin he could reach.

“Wow indeed.” She chuckled. “I really needed this.”

“What?”, he lifted his head from the mattress to look into her eyes. “What do you mean?”

“I mean I really needed the sex. I’ve been horny for weeks now.” She laughed and swatted at his chest jokingly.

It didn’t have any real bite to it but when Yennefer watched the expression in Geralt’s face fall she knew that the underlying message hadn’t escaped him. He raised an eyebrow that clearly relayed that he wanted further explanation.  
She could feel her insecurities bubbling to the top. Why couldn’t she just have enjoyed the moment? If only she had kept her comment to herself.

“Look, all I’m saying is that we hadn’t had sex in some time and I really missed that. Hence, I enjoyed it very much just now.”

“ _Hence, I enjoyed it very much right now_ ”, he imitated her. “Don’t you use that essay language, Yen. Just say what you want to say.”

Insecurity turned into anger to mask her fear. 

“Exactly what I just said, Geralt. I’ve been dropping hints every day for weeks now but you’re either completely oblivious or you’re not feeling the same way”

“Excuse me? Every time I start touching you, you get up to do something else or you’re really tired and whatnot. That’s ok, I mean. I get that one sometimes just isn’t in the mood but for you to accuse me of being oblivious?”

“Then how come it’s all cuddles and pet names to effectively ruin the mood every time I try to turn a kiss into foreplay?” She was getting louder now.

“And why do you not use your words?” He was seriously pissed now. “You’re never shy to put your opinion to the table but suddenly I have to start reading your mind?”

“Because it’s pathetic and it ruins the mood when you have to beg your boyfriend to fuck you!”

She had wanted this to sound very angry and accusing, to put the blame on him, but she noticed the tell-tale burning of her eyes and knew that Geralt also must have seen her eyes glaze over with tears of frustration and embarrassment.  
Geralt was quiet for a minute, his face barely contained fury mixed with hurt. She didn’t care. It had felt incredibly satisfying to finally voice her frustrations. Apparently, he wasn’t all that indifferent. This was a topic long overdue and they had both stewed in that issue for some time. No wonder they both exploded at this. 

He inhaled deeply. “I do see when you bend over exaggeratingly or that you wear these tiny lacey underwear sets. This has nothing to do with me not wanting to have you it’s just that routine and our different work schedules get in the way more often than not. For me, I also really enjoy just cuddling with you.” His voice had been calm at the start and had gotten progressively quieter. She decided not to interrupt him.

“I never wanted to give you the feeling you would have to beg for my attention but it’s sometimes really hard to know what you want, Yen. So please, talk to me.”

He had intently watched a non-existent piece of lint on the sheet but now looked up into her eyes and she could feel anger and frustration leave her like the air out of a balloon. Shit.

“Maybe we could agree on a codeword or something?” Her voice had calmed down as well, and she took his hand in hers. He returned the touch of her hand. “Yeah, maybe that’s an idea.”

She gave him a small smile and got up. “Why don’t I make something for dinner and we’ll start again tomorrow?”

He nodded and picked up their wet bathing things and the towel to hang them up to dry.

The rest of the evening went on nicely, dinner, beers and a good movie had soothed their tempers and they both fell asleep quickly afterwards. 

^^^^

Geralt woke up to an unfamiliar view and had to take two seconds to remember where he was. A sigh to his right and the touch of a hand around his middle brought back the memory quickly, of the beautiful view from the porch, the refreshing dip in the lake yesterday and the amazing sex they’d had. Their fight had now entered his mind again as well, but at the rest of the memories from the last day, a certain body part demanded his attention and who was he to deny his primal urges. 

He turned around to face Yennefer, her eyes obscured from his view by the chaos of her curls. He carefully extended a hand to softly put a few strands behind her ear and away from her face, but she had started to wake despite his efforts not to disturb her.

“Morning”, she yawned, her eyes not yet fully open. 

“Good morning”, he murmured, his voice dark from sleeping.

At his rumble she awoke completely, and he couldn’t hide his smirk. He knew she loved it when his voice was all dark and gravelly, that it turned her on, and that just happened to match his own predicament.  
He pulled her closer and pressed his nose to her neck, his mouth nibbling at her throat and it pulled a delicious sound from her which he could feel going straight to his groin. 

“Hmm, happy birthday, love” she whispered into his ear and without further ado, shoved her hand down his pants. He had almost forgotten that it was his birthday today but found himself enjoying her attentions selfishly – this was a promising start to his special day.

Flushed and sweating but panting with fulfilled bliss they both rolled to their backs and caught their breaths for a moment before Yennefer suddenly jumped out of bed.  
Excitedly, she ran over to her bag and pulled a small box from under her clothes. With a bright smile she offered it to him. “I got you a little something”

He sat up and took the small package from her hands, carefully weighing it between his fingers. Under her excited eyes he peeled the wrapping paper away and revealed an inky blue velvet box underneath, which opened with a satisfying click. Inside sat a silver watch, the intricate clockwork visible underneath a cut-out in the clock face. It was beautiful.

“Yen”, he said quietly and took it out of the box, carefully turning it around. 

“I had it engraved. Look at the inside.”

He did as she told him and read the words aloud that sat there. ‘I’ll love you until the end of time. -Y’

He swallowed hard to keep his emotions in check and leaned forward to press a kiss against her forehead, as he didn’t trust his voice not to break.

-

Sunday had come way too fast for Geralt’s liking and Yennefer seemed to have a hard time parting with the cabin by the lake as well. Their lives required them to be back to their routines eventually though and so they made their way back to their home. On the way back their hands never lost contact, and both felt completely at peace.

They settled back into their daily lives but now committed to a more honest communication and even though there would be many more arguments in the future, they had learned how important transparency was. Each dispute, each clashing of both their tempers would teach them further how to live and love together.

Or so they thought.

^^^^^^

Geralt’s birthday had been a few weeks ago now and Yennefer could feel her temper rising more frequently again. She tried hard to keep her mind open and tell him what was bothering her but sometimes she just didn’t have the strength. 

One night, she simply exploded over a plate with leftovers that had to be thrown away because Geralt hadn’t put them in the fridge. It’s always one shitty, little inconvenience that takes the cake but when Geralt shouted in her face that she had been particularly nasty the last couple of days she suspected that a conflict had been boiling in Geralt as well. He went to bed on the couch that night and she tossed and turned until it was finally time to get up and go to work. 

They made up that following evening with a passion they both had forgotten was in them, and everything seemed to fall into place again. Geralt had bought her flowers the week after and she had planned a girl’s night out on Game Night when Geralt wanted to have some friends over. She had talked about their quarrels with her co-worker again. The one that had shared that piece of wisdom about living together with her when she hadn’t been ready for it. Nenneke was a middle-aged woman whose husband had been with her for over 25 years, through three pregnancies and a heart attack so Yennefer had been quite stupid to think that her advice would not apply to her own life.  
When she could feel frustrations rising again, she cornered Nenneke at lunch. She felt nervous and her stomach rebelled at the thought of eating something. 

“Can I ask you something?” She could feel herself chewing on her lip and hated herself for the insecure habit.

“I believe you already have, dear.”, Nenneke smiled motherly at her. “But do ask me another one”

Yennefer sighed. “Have I been a bitch lately?”

If Nenneke was taken aback by her harsh language she didn’t let it show but the way she seemed to contemplate her answer let Yennefer suspect she already knew the answer.

“Honestly, dear…. you have been a little – how to put it – demanding of your surroundings”

Shit. She had been a class A bitch. A fury. She had to apologise.

“Oh, well… Thanks for your honesty. And I’m sorry”

Nenneke pat her hand. “That’s alright, dear “.

Yennefer came home that night ready to eat humble pie. When she saw Geralt sitting on the couch she drew in a deep breath to get it all out before she could change her mind. 

“So, listen.” He looked at her and muted the TV. “I know we’ve been having some ups and downs lately and I’m easily 65% of those fights and I’m sorry.”  
He just looked at her and the silence was making her babble.

“Your birthday weekend was so nice, and it’s been like two months since then and we couldn’t even keep the peace that long and I- “She stopped mid-sentence. Geralt stood up, embraced her tightly and whispered into her ear. “Thank you, Yen. It’s ok, and I haven’t been easy either. Let’s forget this, ok? I love you so very much. Never forget that.”

She felt his watch press into her back and thought back to the morning she had given it to him. 

_I’ll love you until the end of time_

That moment had been almost 9 weeks ago, and they had been so busy with their lives she just hadn’t noticed the time going by. She hadn’t stopped talking for a loss at words but because she had just realised something. Something that might just test their relationship again. 

-

Yennefer knew it was a stupid idea, but she couldn’t help herself. Locked away in the ladies’ room she was knee-deep into WebMD. This was so cliché with the weekend trip and the make-up sex but the mood swings, her sensitive breasts, her missed periods and the fact she was getting more nauseous by the day didn’t leave any room for interpretation. She either had multiple cancer growths or she was pregnant.

“FUUUUUUUCK”

She could hear a toilet flushing. God damnit, she should have checked the other stalls. ‘Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale, Yennefer. You are a medical professional. You didn’t notice it before – your mistake. Now go and act like a sane person and just take a test.’

Easier said than done; well obtaining a test had been easy, drinking her weight in juice as well but now she was sitting on the toilet, that damn stick between her legs, her bladder just short of bursting and still, she couldn’t let lose. She stared at the little sticker from the company that had installed the facilities and as she read their address for the hundredth time her mind was finally bored enough.

The following three minutes were hell. She could feel the seconds stretching on and nearly ripped the soap off the counter as soon as her timer went off. She breathed twice again; her eyes screwed shut before deciding to rip it off like a band-aid.

There it was. There. It. Was. 

‘Shit’ 

She wasn’t ready to have a child! She was at the start of her career and she was still so young! She loved Geralt but did she want to start a family with him? Did he even want a family? Did she? They had never talked about this and it hadn’t seemed important before, they had so much time. Except now they didn’t.

Yennefer had always had a blind trust in contraception, her IUD so safe she never even spared a thought for a doubt. Why use a condom when you knew your partner and you didn’t have to worry about pregnancy? Thousands of women used them successfully, why did she have to be the 0.01%? 

She had to stop this madness. A decision needed to be made, she just hadn’t made up her mind yet if Geralt would be a part of said decision.  
Yennefer threw one last glance at those two pink lines before chucking it in the trash.

^^^^

Geralt was in an exceptionally good mood. It was just one of those days when everything falls into place effortlessly and the world smiles down on you. He had stopped at the grocery store and had picked up some fresh salmon and a bottle of wine and was set on surprising Yennefer with a nice dinner and one of these stupid, romantic films she loved so much. 

He was about to rinse the pots when he heard the door open and close and took two glasses of wine in hand to welcome her home. He stopped in his tracks when he saw her face, her expressions changing a mile a minute as soon as she made eye contact. She’d had herself back under control quickly, but he wasn’t going to let this go.

“Yen, what’s wrong?”

He could see the dam breaking before the tears started flowing and he quickly put the glasses on the nearest surface to catch her in his arms. Geralt had never seen her lose it like this before and felt utterly helpless as he held onto her while she sobbed into his shoulder.

“Yen, talk to me, I’m freaking out!”

“Geralt, I’m pregnant”

She had stopped crying and he had stopped breathing. Her words went round for round around his brain until their meaning finally settled. 

“I thought you were on birth control?” It was a stupid question, but it was also the first thing that came to his mind.

“I am but it’s not like the pill where you forget one and then have to be careful for the next cycle it just sometimes happens I only get the IUD checked once a year at the doctor’s and I don’t even know how that could happen. It was probably all   
the sex on your birthday weekend. No wonder I was so horny, I was super fertile those days and my goddamn uterus didn’t check with my brain before demanding impregnation”   
He felt a laugh bubble in his chest at her choice of words and the situation in general.

“Why are you laughing?”, she demanded, clearly not in the mood.

“Ok, sorry. I’m not laughing at you, I promise. Yen, why are so upset about this?” 

“Excuse me? Have you listened to me? There is a human being growing inside me! I can’t be a mother! I don’t know if I want to be! Do you even want to have kids? And if you did, would you want them now? We never even talked about this and it’s just so early. Too early.”

Geralt now held her at arm’s length and looked at her with wide eyes. The shock of her emotional outburst was still in effect, but he knew this was a make or break situation. If he didn’t handle this correctly, it would most likely leave them both with irreparable emotional scarring.

“Yen, I love you. You know that. It’s not exactly how I thought we would do this, but I do want kids, I think. And I do with you. I support you, no matter what you do, and I will be there every part of the way, no matter what you decide to do.”

At his words her tears began running anew but he thought they had lost the desperate undertone. He let out a relieved huff and her pressed her to him again, his hands continuously running up and down her back in a soothing gesture. 

After Yennefer’s tears had finally dried up, they went to bed, exhausted by all the feelings. Geralt could hear her turning around and even though his eyes were burning his mind was still running around, making it impossible to fall asleep. He rolled to his back and sighed loudly, staring at the ceiling.

“I should still have a few weeks left to…you know” He heard her mumble quietly next to him.

“To what?” he asked, now turning to face her. She still lay with her back to him, her face pressed into the pillow.

“To terminate the pregnancy, Geralt. We’re not even 30 and I would have to stop working so early to avoid any exposure to possibly infectious diseases and you would have to get a second job maybe to pay all the bills. I don’t think we’d survive this; our love wouldn’t survive this.”

Geralt contemplated her words for a bit. She had been right when she’d said she didn’t know if he even wanted a family. He had never thought about it and his previous luck with girlfriends never let the question arise. He had accepted that he might never be a dad and he was okay with that. Being with Yennefer had changed this, however. True, it wasn’t exactly convenient or the perfect time but was there ever one? 

He allowed himself to dream of the future, Yennefer with a belly so big she would need help putting her shoes on, complaining about all the aches and how he could do that to her but in reality she wouldn’t trade it for the world. He would gladly get her anything she might need and help her through everything until he would finally hold their child, watch it grow up and protect his little family with his life. 

He suddenly realised that he wanted this child. He wanted Yennefer and him to become a family and if she could warm up to this idea it would make him the happiest person on earth. The decision was hers, though and it would be unfair of him to pressure her into something so significantly life changing – she had to arrive at a conclusion herself but he wanted, no needed, to make sure she knew he’d stay at her side no matter what.

“Geralt?”, she whispered next to him. “Are you asleep?”

“No, Yen. I’m still awake. Sorry, I was thinking.”

“And?”, she breathed.

“Why don’t we get you a doctor’s appointment for starters? Check everything out, talk about our options and leave the difficult decisions for our future selves? There is no point in overthinking this. It’s not like we can do anything right now.” He pulled her to him and buried his nose in the back of her neck. 

“We’ll be alright, Yen. It’s all going to be alright. We’ll figure this out.”

“Okay.”

He pressed a kiss to her neck and finally fell asleep.

^^^^^

Yennefer awoke in a haze of blissful, post-sleeping ignorance of all her troubles. That state only lasted a couple of seconds, though, before all of yesterday’s events came crashing back down on her.   
She looked out the window and let her thoughts run away with her. She remembered Geralt’s words from last night and even though he hadn’t jumped in the air out of joy he hadn’t been completely appalled either. He had been kind of calm even; had said he’d be by her side no matter what. 

Her hands had wandered down to her stomach and she found that the stress had subsided a little. This pregnancy might not be the end of the world after all.

-

Another week had gone by and Yennefer and Geralt caught themselves talking about the baby non-stop. The doctor’s appointment would be tomorrow, and she felt giddy and excited. She had wondered how far along she would actually be and had started googling all kinds of things about when you would be able to tell the gender, had ordered “What to expect when you’re expecting” and was currently entertaining the idea of getting Geralt a “World’s greatest Dad” coffee mug.

She closed the browser decidedly. This was going too far.

Still, what had initially been a shock could turn out to be blessing in disguise. If she was honest with herself, she knew exactly that she definitely wanted kids but with her career as a medical professional it just hadn’t been on her mind for a few years. Women fell pregnant all the time, it was the 21st century! No big deal, really. She would enjoy this journey and then eventually return to her job and go on. A child wasn’t the end of her life, it was an extension.  
She was glad she hadn’t been able to contain her emotions that night and had told Geralt right away. It wouldn’t have felt right to keep this a secret from him, and the stress would have most likely killed her eventually. He was so great and supportive about this and she was truly happy she had him by her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: You're about to enter Whump!Town so I hope you enjoyed this little chapter of happiness....
> 
> This story is about to reach it's turning point.


	9. CHAPTER SEVEN: reality check

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year you guys! 2021 is finally here, let's hope the shit show is close to being over (looking closely at you there, USA)
> 
> I am so sorry this update took me so long but I spent the holidays at my parents' and didn't touch my laptop between 23rd December and 4th January. Also, this chapter kept fighting me tooth and nail.
> 
> Buckle up, this chapter is an emotional rollercoaster - enjoy and leave a comment if you liked or disliked it! I am always so excited when I see someone leaving kudos or a comment :-)  
> (BTW I absolutely indulged in some clichés here and I utterly enjoyed the sappiness. So please just roll with it)
> 
> TW in the end of chapter notes

“Yen, are you alright? Do you need anything? Something to drink or a snack?”

Yennefer sighed and rolled her eyes over-dramatically. Geralt was really starting to hover over her and her feelings about this swung hourly between adoration and irritation. It was cute that he cared so much but she had an inkling that his behaviour would become suffocating eventually if she didn’t put a stop to this now.

“Geralt, I’m fine. I’m still the person I was two weeks ago, I am not fragile or disabled, alright? I’ll let you know if I need anything”

She let a few kisses follow her berating to soften the blow. He did mean well after all. Yennefer was also very much aware that she would become so big she would need help to do the most basic tasks and she feared that it would be rather sooner than later that Geralt wouldn’t allow her to put any strain on herself. She wasn’t looking forward to gaining 30lbs but couldn’t help the butterflies erupting in her stomach at the thought of Geralt caring for her while she was busy growing their baby. He would be such a great father and with every passing hour she was warming up more to the idea of becoming a mother. 

He opened the car door for her after they had pulled into the parking lot in front of the doctor’s office and she happily took his hand on their way in. The sun was shining and they both were in a fantastic mood, excited for the appointment.   
Upon walking through the glass doors, they were promptly greeted by a friendly receptionist who handed her a clipboard with some forms she had to fill in. Yennefer thanked her and proceeded to one of the free chairs in the waiting room.

“Ugh, I hate these questions.” Yennefer said to herself while putting down all sorts of information about her medical history and general health. After completing the three pages, Geralt got up to return it to the receptionist who then called them into one of the rooms where they could wait for the doctor. The walls were plastered with all kinds of posters and info charts on pregnancy, parenthood, and advertisements for treatments and vaccinations for children. 

Geralt couldn’t help himself but to play with the model of the female reproductive organs which he promptly disassembled and then realised he couldn’t put back together. Yennefer looked at him with raised eyebrows to which he answered by grinning boyishly and just shoving the pieces in the nearest drawer. 

When quick and heavy footfalls could be heard coming up the hallway through the door, she realised that her nerves were worse than she liked to admit. A look into Geralt’s eyes confirmed that she wasn’t the only one with that sentiment. He wriggled his eyebrows excitedly and took his place next to her on the examination chair and took her hand. 

The doctor opened the door swiftly and greeted them with a smile that radiated confidence and routine. She was a friendly-looking woman in her late 50s, her dark brown hair laced with streaks of some grey hairs, pulled into a low bun, donning a lab coat over some pink scrubs. 

“Hello my dears. Ready for the first ultrasound? You must be excited to see your little one for the first time, so I suggest we start with the cold gel and answer questions after, alright?”  
Yennefer couldn’t agree more and readily pulled up her shirt before lying down. She briefly flinched when the gel was indeed cold but relaxed again and turned her head to the right to look at the screen. The doctor pressed the transducer probe into her lower abdomen and turned it around, a neutral expression on her face. 

“Can you see if it’s a girl or a boy, yet?”, Geralt asked from her side, his hand pressing hers. She knew he wanted a boy to do all the things his father never did with him, but she was sure he would be just as proud to have a little princess to pamper and spoil whenever she would look the other way. She hadn’t really made up her mind which she wanted more but had decided it didn’t matter. Not that she had any say in this anyway.

As she chased imaginary children across a lawn, she realised that Geralt hadn’t gotten an answer to his question yet and looked up from the screen she couldn’t recognise a foetus on to save her life even if she tried. The seconds that followed she experienced in third-person view, the words coming from the doctor’s mouth feeling unreal as if she would simply be a by-stander in a film scene.

^^^^

“Why don’t you get cleaned up and sit down at my desk and we’ll talk about this.” 

Geralt felt his blood ringing in his ears. This wasn’t happening. He chanced a look over to Yennefer who looked like she was simply a shell operating on command, but no person was truly awake on the inside. He had to pull himself together. He had to handle this. For her. 

“Come on, Yen.” He wiped the gel off her stomach and helped her stand. She followed his lead and sat down next to him; her eyes trained on the brochures on the desk. He did his best to keep his emotions buried, handle this like business and break down later. He drew a few deep breaths and then looked up into the doctor’s eyes.

“What does this mean?”

“I am really sorry to tell you this, but you are not pregnant. You never were. We will run some tests to get to the bottom of the true reason, but the ultrasound suggests your uterus is malformed. You will likely not be able to have children.”   
She had been addressing Yennefer, but her gaze had never left Geralt’s. She seemed to understand that Yennefer was currently unable to comprehend what she was told but needed the information to sink in, nevertheless. He felt as if he had been hit by a bus. The words coming out of her mouth formed sounds he recognised but couldn’t understand. Didn’t want to understand. They burned themselves into his memory, nonetheless. 

“But she took a test.” 

“False positives happen quite regularly, unfortunately.”

“And what do we do now?”

“You should go home, process what happened today and allow yourselves to grieve. You were obviously and understandably already very invested in this pregnancy and you shouldn’t underestimate the aftershocks of such a loss. Should you have any questions you can call my office anytime and if you’d like I could give you the information of a counsellor and social worker to help you.”

“I’ll call if we need anything.”

Yennefer didn’t even flinch when they took a few blood samples and let herself be dragged back to the car. When they arrived home, she still hadn’t said a word and slowly but surely, Geralt was getting seriously worried. 

“Do you need anything? You thirsty? Hungry? Do you wanna talk about…you know?”, he was still unsure how to handle this himself and surprised he hadn’t broken down yet. The pure panic at Yennefer’s apathy the only thing keeping him from allowing himself to freak out. 

“Yen, please talk to me!”

She didn’t react. 

“Yen!” He shook her and her eyes finally connected to his, returning from spacing out. 

“And what would you like me to say, Geralt?”, she snapped. He was appalled at her tone at first but quickly reigned himself back in. Anger was better than her vow of silence. 

“I don’t know. Something. Anything! Cry, scream, shout. I don’t care. But don’t shut yourself off”.

“I am barely holding on, Geralt. I am this close to losing my mind.” She held her hand up, her thumb and index finger almost touching. “I don’t know if I want to cry or to scream. I feel like bawling my eyes out and at the same time I want to break something or punch someone in the face!”

“It’s ok, Yen. Whatever you wanna do, it’s ok.” 

“Don’t ‘it’s gonna be ok’ me. It’s not gonna be ok! I have to return all those things I bought and thank god we hadn’t told anyone I could not handle these phone calls.”

“It doesn’t matter, Yen. We can just throw this stuff away.”

“No, Geralt!”, she was screaming now. But he was glad she was starting to show emotion. “I need to focus on something. I can’t think about the extent of all this or I’ll go insane.” She paced the hallway now.

“How come you are so calm? Did you not hear what the doctor said? I can’t have children, Geralt. I will never have children!”

“I AM NOT CALM!”, his boomed through the apartment and she stared at him with wide eyes. 

“I am hurting, Yen. I lost this child, whether it existed or not, I lost this child just as much as you did. I am grieving, I am angry, I am going insane!” 

At his outburst she briefly went quiet, then the tears started. They began running down her cheeks silently before they turned into heart-breaking, gut-wrenching sobs that wracked her whole frame. At her breakdown his dams burst as well and they clung to each other and sank to the floor, letting the pain wash over them. 

When they went to bed hours later, they both didn’t say a word and turned their backs to each other as they fell into and exhausted and dreamless but restless sleep. 

-

The following weeks they walked on eggshells around each other, neither wanting to breach the topic of losing a child that had never existed, but also not being ready to return to normalcy as if nothing had happened. Yennefer had been on sick leave the first two weeks after that traumatic doctor’s appointment and had just returned to working again. He was glad she was participating in her life again, even if she did so by drowning her thoughts in overtime at the E.R.

Geralt had been forced to return to work right away as he couldn’t get days off at this short notice and was mercifully able to suppress any thoughts while doing so. The minute he got home, however; everything came crashing back with a vengeance.  
Usually, Yennefer would be sitting in the kitchen staring into the abyss, clutching a cup of tea she never drank. Some days she would be crying, other days she would start a fight the second he crossed the threshold. He tried to absorb the emotional attacks she would give out, but she was starting to push his limits a little bit more by the day and he wasn’t sure how much more he could take. The fact that they hadn’t told anyone of the pregnancy had made it easier initially as they didn’t have to endure the stares of pity and mumbles behind their backs, but now they also didn’t have anyone to talk with. He had considered confiding in Jaskier but couldn’t bring himself to go behind Yennefer’s back. 

Suggesting giving the counsellor a call exploded in his face and he never brought it up again. 

After the shouting match about the psychiatrist it took exactly 8 more days until Yennefer, to his surprise, was the one who decided it was time to do something about her everlasting mood swings.   
She approached him one Sunday that had started out as usual: Yennefer had been sitting in the kitchen staring holes into the cabinets and Geralt had been watching TV. Her eyes were still dulled with pain, but he could see that she had thought about what she was about to say so he immediately turned off the TV and scooted over to make room for her on the sofa. 

“This time has been tough, and I have indulged in my pain, but I have been taking it out on you and that’s not ok. I don’t know what I need to do to exactly to get back on track, but you’ve been such an amazing support to me even though you must have been hurting so much as well.” She lay a hand against his cheek and looked up into his eyes. “I’m sorry, Geralt.” 

He couldn’t believe his ears, but it felt nice to have his sacrifice and feelings acknowledged. He wanted to be there for her, but he was hanging onto the last straw the last couple of days. It was quite shocking, though but he suspected a lengthy conversation with Triss about this. She always had the answer to everything and seemed to be the voice of reason when Yennefer couldn’t see through her emotions. He owed her for probably more resolved fights than he could imagine.

“I love you so much, Yen.” He gave her an emotion-laden kiss on the lips and felt like a ton had been lifted off his shoulders. “We’re gonna figure everything out. We always do.”

He leaned his forehead against hers and they just stayed like that for a few minutes, breathing, letting the words sink in and readying themselves for the road ahead. As they sat on the sofa like this, foreheads touching, holding hands, a line of thought returned to the front of his mind and in this second, his synapses connected in a conscious decision so clear he knew he had to act on it soon.

She returned his kiss with as much emotion, laying open the words she had not said out loud. She then got up and made her way to the bathroom, announcing she would take an hour-long bath, do a face mask and deep condition her hair. Whatever that meant in detail was an enigma to him, but he was pretty sure it meant that Yennefer truly was on the right track back to her old self. He smiled as the bathroom door locked behind her. 

She had taken a 700-page novel into the bath with her to relax in the tub with some reading, so he used the chance to snoop through her phone for Triss’ number. He needed to thank her, and he also wanted to get some advice himself. 

“Hi Yenna, are you alright?”

“Actually, not Yennefer.” 

“Geralt, is that you? Are we finally, kind of, meeting?” She sounded really surprised but friendly.

Geralt grinned at her words and could see the red curls he had seen on a photo once, bouncing around her face. 

“I don’t want any details which you wouldn’t give me anyway, I assume, but I want to thank you. For being such a good friend to Yen when she needed one. For always being there for her. She seems to be so much better and, well, thanks.”

“Aren’t you a cutie pie. I appreciate a man that can admit to having needed the help. It was no big deal, I love Yenna. I’d always help her.”

“Speaking of help. I might need it again, actually.”

“Spill it! You sound like this will be the fun kind of help for a change”

“I hope so! You’ve been friends since boarding school, right?”

“Right.” Her voice was non-committal so far, so he thought it’d be best to just keep talking.

“So, you would know everything about her teenage-time happy future fantasies.”

“That was probably the weirdest string of words I’ve ever heard.” She laughed a bell-like laughter. “Say what you want to say, Geralt.” 

“Ok, promise me you won’t laugh and promise me won’t tell a word to Yennefer.”

“I’d pinky swear but since we’re on the phone I guess you’ll have to take me by my word.”

“I’ll take what I can get.” He took a deep breath. What he was about to say sounded crazy even in his head so he was afraid that if spoken aloud, his idea would land him a first-class ticket to the nearest mental institution. 

“These last few weeks have been painful and horrible, emotionally scarring and traumatising for us both, _but_ it also showed me that Yennefer is the person that completes me. That I want to be with her no matter the circumstances, no matter how hard   
it is or what terrible things we’re calling each other when we lash out in hurt. The lows are just as much part of this relationship as the highs and the highs we do have together make every hardship so worth it. When I look into her eyes I feel as if nothing else matters in the world and I would take a bullet in a heartbeat to save her. I love her so much that I willingly watch all the stupid romance films and order take out and massage her feet. I love her so much that I think she is the prettiest when she wakes up next to me, her hair a mess and eyes still closed. Hell, I love her so much that I am saying all this on the phone to a person I’ve never met.” He let out a nervous laugh. His heart was hammering in his chest, but he was just as relieved as he was nervous. He hoped he hadn’t just made a complete fool of himself.

His heartrate raced away as the other end of the line kept silent and he briefly wondered if he had just made the biggest mistake of his life. When an excited squeal erupted on the phone however, he exhaled a nervous breath. 

“Geralt, are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“I think you’re thinking exactly the right thing.” He grinned like a madman and sent a quick prayer to the gods that the book Yennefer was reading was good and that all the masks and lotions would take some more time. He had a lot to discuss with Triss.

-

Naturally, it wasn’t back to rainbows and cupcakes, but that Sunday had turned them around and paved the way for healing. Geralt felt surer than ever that he was doing the right thing. While saying that, he had to lie to Yennefer nevertheless and he hoped she’d never find out. It was all for the bigger picture, but he wasn’t so sure she’d understand that.

“Listen, Yen. I have to go out of town for work next week. I know it sucks but unless I have a valid reason not to go, I have to. I’ll be home by Friday for dinner?”

“Oh really?” She deflated a little.

He inwardly flinched. “I mean I can’t really tell my boss that you -. I mean that…” He trailed off. He couldn’t bring himself to say the words out loud, the wound was simply too fresh. The look in her eyes confirmed the assumption she’d feel the same way.

“Yeah, no. It’s alright.” She gave a tired smile. “I have a late shift on Friday anyway so as long as I get you back for brunch on Saturday, I’m good. Just come back home safely, ok?”

He bent down to kiss her nose and caress her cheek, which she leaned into while closing her eyes.

^^^^

She had waited for this day for a long time. She had always known that her obsession with hoarding memories would pay off sometime and today seemed to be the day. She pulled up to the airport and spotted him straight away. _That_ was Geralt? Tall, broad frame, dark brown curls, and a catching smile that was almost contagious. How in the heavens had Yennefer managed to hook a guy like him? Then again, she always had that way with boys. 

She rolled down the window when she came to a stop in front of him. “You the charmer that sneaks away from his girlfriend in order to make her the happiest woman to walk this earth?”  
He jumped a little but caught himself a second later, bowing down to look through the window. “Hi Triss. I really appreciate what you’re doing here.”

She patted the passenger seat and drove them home. ‘This is going to be an amazing, fun week.’

-

Triss was exactly the way he expected her to be. Big, round eyes, her red curls framing her face, bouncing every time she erupted in laughter. Which was quite often. She had prepared the dining room table with mood boards, differently coloured markers and a truck load of photo albums and notebooks. 

They ordered pizza the first night and skimmed through the material Triss had dug up, containing all the fantasies about Yennefer’s dream wedding everything. He was well aware this ideal was a few years old but judging from all the movies he had seen against his will a girl’s princess dreams only change so much so he should be good. For the final details he had also Triss’ input who had known Yennefer for years and was also a woman. 

One look at the ginormous wardrobe in her apartment told him that she was probably into fashion and everything pretty and nice so he was fairly positive she would direct him should he try and make a wrong decision. 

The brainstorming quickly became overwhelming, so they abandoned the table for the rest of the night. He was tired from the trip and Triss kept chatting away about this and that, her life and the boarding school. Geralt leaned back into sofa and sipped his beer while simply listening to her. He was learning a lot tonight and he laughed whole-heartedly as Triss filled in the stories Yennefer had told him before. She obviously had left out some embarrassing details he now got served on a silver platter. Time flew by quickly and they soon went to bed to rest up.

The remaining days continued similarly to the first; they started out with going through the materials piece by piece, putting together mind maps, colour schemes and a lot of other planning tools Geralt had never heard of before. She cooked and kept him focussed and he helped her fix one or two things around the house and with putting away dishes in high cabinets. Triss was even smaller than Yennefer and he couldn’t help but laugh when he opened the overhead cabinets for the first time only to find the bottom shelves crammed with stuff while the top shelves were completely empty.

Friday morning finally rolled around, and she had just finished packing all the things he needed to take home with him so that they wouldn’t get damaged on the flight. 

“Thank you so much, Triss. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you!” He embraced her whole heartedly his arms easily wrapping around her tiny waist. She almost felt like a doll in his arms. 

“Oh, don’t worry. It was a pleasure”, she said quietly into his ear which was pressed against her cheek. “Now go home and use our work to have the most epic wedding!”

She gave him a squeeze back and off he went back to the airport to catch up on some sleep before Saturday rolled around.

^^^^

Yennefer struggled to admit to herself, but she seemed to have developed a dependency on Geralt for a good night’s sleep which must have strengthened especially in the last few weeks. Even though she hadn’t been ale to stand his touch during the day in the time she had been hurting the most, a simple touch such as a hand on his arm or her feet pressed to his calves did wonders to stop her racing mind at night. 

She wasn’t as obsessed with the what ifs as in the beginning right after that day at the doctor’s but as soon as she went to bed her thoughts started running in circles, creating scenarios and forming accusations at her, her health, her ability (or rather disability) to have children, the doctor and the unfairness of the world in general. 

This business trip was the first time they had been separated for more than a few hours at a time and she found that she missed him dearly. His grunts and mumbles when he was concentrating on something or the noise of the TV and his quiet snoring when she came home late from work. The way he would stroke her hair and press a kiss to her temple every day, no matter if she reacted or not. She sighed loudly. He would be back by tomorrow and she would let him know how much she’d missed him.

When she opened the door late at night her gaze fell on the suitcase in the hallway. Her mind readily supplied that Geralt must be home already and she cursed herself for opening the door so carelessly and loudly. She hung her coat by the door and tiptoed into the bedroom and sure enough, there he was. Stretched out across their bed, his face pressed to her pillow, the hideous shirt she had been wearing to bed lately bunched up in his right hand. She took a minute or two to let the picture sink in; the way his face was free of the constant stress and worries he shouldered, his shoulders relaxed and the even breathing that moved a curl around that had fallen into his face. He looked almost like a boy again, the way she imagined him to have looked like as a carefree teenager.

Carefully, she shimmied out of her trousers, socks and tossed the bra, then lightly feathered her fingertips against his cheek. “Geralt”, she whispered. His cheek flinched a little under her touch. 

“Geraaaaaaalt”, she dragged his name. One eye opened and slowly focussed on what it was seeing, one moment later she was swiftly pressed into a hard chest by a strong arm. His nose dove into her hair, his lips brushing the nape of her neck. 

“I missed you”, she said quietly, revelling in the feeling of safety that his embrace provided. 

His response was a short but nonetheless affectionate grunt. She knew the variety of his grunts and rumbles by heart and could translate them into words easily. His even breathing told her he fell right back asleep, so she closed her eyes and went to sleep as well – peaceful, restful sleep.

-

She felt giddy and nervous like on the morning before a school field trip or a big holiday. Her bag was packed and ready to go by the door next to her feet while Geralt flew around the apartment packing the last things. He still hadn’t slipped up so she had to trust him to bring everything they might need at their mystery destination they were going to for the weekend. Initially, she’d had a pit in her stomach at the mention of a weekend trip but she made a conscious effort to sever the ties between weekend trips in general and the association between their last get away and the hell that had broken loose afterwards.

The only fact he had shared with her was that she was supposed to bring warm clothes which was no surprise since December had already snuck on them again and had hit with a vengeance. They hadn’t had snow yet, but the temperatures were freezing, and Yennefer had been living in woollen socks and thick jumpers for some time now.   
20 Minutes later they finally sat in the car, Geralt behind the wheel this time, and off they went. She could obviously tell the general direction they were going by the signs, but she decided not to think about too much and spoil the surprise for herself. As the hours went by that particular resolve started to waver but not too long after that Geralt announced that they were close. Her eyes now re-focussed on the landscape around them and she couldn’t supress an excited squeal when snowy mountain tops and trees registered in her mind.

Geralt turned his head to look at her at the sound she’d made and smiled warmly. “Surprise! We’re going skiing.” She loved it, her mind racing through her choice of wardrobe and planning what she would need to rent.   
Since they had started quite late after their workdays, they only had time to get their rentals sorted out for tomorrow and check in to their room which had a beautiful view of the slope. They changed and freshened up, then headed into the small village adjoined to the foot of the mountain to get some dinner. She ordered a plate of creamy alfredo pasta, he dug into a lasagne, and they both enjoyed a shared bottle of white wine. Over dinner they laughed and giggled like a teenage couple, a little tipsy from the wine and the wintery glow around them. 

Back in their room, Geralt swooped her up in his arms and she locked her hands behind his neck. Kissing her gently he guided them both over to the bed where he lay her down carefully. His eyes never left hers as he pulled the sleeves of her dress down her shoulders, tracing the way the fabric slipped down her body with his fingers. She arched under his touch, aiding him in getting her clothes off her, then pulled him to her by the collar of his white button down. Soft touches and gentle words never ceased while they made love tenderly and carefully, connecting not only their bodies but also their hearts. She snuggled into his arms afterwards, pressing kisses to his shoulder and falling asleep feeling safe and warm.

The next morning started early for them, the sun had barely risen but Yennefer and Geralt were both bundled up and ready to hit the slopes. They were clad in the most hideous rental ski clothes, but Yennefer couldn’t find it in her to care. Nobody knew them here anyway and seeing Geralt in an orange monster of a jacket was hilarious. Still, she sent a quick thank you to the heavens that at least her pants were a slimming black with a long white stripe down the side of her legs. 

The first sun rays hit them square in the face as they rode the ski-lift to the mountain top and the view was breath-taking. Snow-covered pine trees reflected the sunlight and joined the freshly ploughed slope in a sea of sparkles. Only a few clouds obstructed the view of a perfectly blue sky, promising a freezing cold but beautiful day – perfect for skiing. 

The first time down the mountain was a little slow and bumpy as they lacked practice, but both soon went down easier and easier, laughing loudly mostly with joy, sometimes with amusement at the other landing on their behind. By late afternoon, Yennefer could feel her stomach rumble and proposed they stop at one of the log cabins on the summit where they served hot food and drinks. Geralt suddenly looked equally excited and dreading, only for a second, before he agreed to a break and offered to lead the way. From the top they skied a short distance down, then went off the beaten path. Yennefer wasn’t too sure if Geralt really knew where he was going since they were both no cross-country skiers, but soon enough a cosy little cabin came into view, smoke rising from a chimney.

They parked their skies in front of the house and went inside, where Yennefer came to a surprised halt. The cabin was absolutely empty, no person inside. “Geralt, are you sure we’re supposed to be here? It looks more like a private cabin than a restaurant”. Geralt only smiled and nodded, taking her by the hand and helping her out of her jacket. The tight fitting black long sleeve she wore underneath made it much easier to move in and she started walking around, taking in the interior. It was comfortably warm there, so she freed her hair from the beanie she had been wearing, her hair falling freely down her back. When she turned around from where the fireplace was located, a gasp escaped her lips. There on the back of the cabin, the side facing the valley, the wall gave way to a small conservatory where a table and two chairs waited. 

She couldn’t say a word as she walked over and sat down, drinking in the atmosphere. 

“I hope you’re still hungry”, Geralt said while lifting the lids off their plates. They ate with gusto, laughing and talking about their day so far. When the food was finished, Geralt got up to put on some music, then pushed the table to the side and offered his hand.

“May I have this dance?”

She looked at him with wide eyes but took his hand, nonetheless. He swayed them inside the conservatory to a slow rhythm, their entwined hands resting against his heart, her head on his shoulder. When the fire burnt down low and the sun began approaching the horizon, they went outside in the snow again to watch the sunset. 

As the landscape around her was dipped in orange and gold she felt the warmth of Geralt against her back vanish and she turned around, only to see him kneeling before her, the day’s last sunlight illuminating his face, holding up a black velvet box with a beautiful white gold ring sitting inside on a white pillow, the tear shaped diamond reflecting the sun. 

Her mind blanked and the only thing she could do was stare between Geralt’s face and that beautiful ring.

“Yen, you had me speechless from the day we met the first time and I still find myself staring at your beautiful face, wondering what I did in my past lives to deserve someone like you. Your strength, your intelligence, your humour and sometimes your temper –“, he smiled apologetically. “-challenge me and make me grow as a person every single day. You are my partner, my lover, my teacher, you are everything I need. Things have not been easy lately and I admire you for your willpower, your indestructability, even when you’re vulnerable and hurting.”

A single tear escaped his eyes at this point and Yennefer had to fight very hard to not let her own fall. Instead, she clutched her hands against her chest, breathing heavily. 

“I want you to know that no matter the circumstances, I want you by my side. I want to grow old and wrinkly with you and as long as you love me, as long as you let me love you, I know that everything else will fall into place. You make me so happy, Yen. Will you marry me?”

Their breaths rose in steam clouds above their heads as they stood there in the snow. The world seemed to have stopped as Geralt lay his heart at her feet and she could see him tremble. From the cold or anticipation, she couldn’t tell. 

“Yes.” She answered, a wide smile spreading on her face, a few tears finally escaping her. He exhaled audibly, carefully took her hand in his and slid the ring on her finger, then lifted her from her feet and twirled them around while passionately kissing her.

When they pulled apart, he was still holding her aloft, the sun setting behind him. The last light created a halo around his head and all she could think about that she had never been this happy before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: loss, child loss, indirect mention of depression


	10. CHAPTER EIGHT: Her day

That wonderful weekend of their engagement seemed to have happened yesterday and a year ago at the same time. By now, Yennefer still found herself surprised when she caught the glimmer of her ring in the corner of her eyes and released a sigh of happiness at the thought of his proposal.

It had basically been the proposal of her dreams; romantic, stunning setting but private. An intimate moment just between the two of them. This privacy hadn’t lasted very long, of course. The moment they had been back at the hotel and cell reception returned; she had called Triss. Turned out, she knew all along! Judging by her high-pitched squeals and the ton of questions she asked, her knowledge hadn’t seemed to have dampened her excitement at the news. 

Right now, she kept daydreaming of their actual wedding day, but was jostled back to reality at a gentle nudge to her ribs. She looked up into the expectant face of her mother. Even though they wanted to spend this year’s Christmas at their own place, her parents had insisted on at least a brief visit during the holidays. They had obviously obliged, as Yennefer had wanted to share the news with her parents personally. Her mother had been over the moon at the announcement and had promptly pressed not only Yennefer but also Geralt to her chest. She had mumbled something in Geralt’s ear which resulted in his cheeks turning pink and she swore she had seen his eyes mist over. She wouldn’t mention it though. 

Her father, never the overly vocal type, had gruffly congratulated them and had pressed a kiss to her cheek. This was about the emotional explosion she would get from him, but her mother made more than up for his lack of expression. She knew he was happy for her; it was just his way of communicating. 

She still found herself being stared down by her mother. There was no point in denying she hadn’t been paying attention, so with a sigh she asked: “Sorry, could you repeat that?” 

“Yenna, dear, I was asking if you already have a date or a venue? Do you need any help with planning? You know I’m happy to help wherever I can!”

Yennefer inwardly flinched a little. She loved her mother will all her heart, but she tended to become a little overbearing. This had been the case with several birthdays, and she doubted she had seen the full extent of her mother’s tendencies to over-control everything. She had honestly not started planning her wedding in any detail despite the hours she had spent dreaming about it. This could pose the moment where her mother would sweep in but before she could actually say something it was Geralt, to her surprise, that spoke up.

“Yen and I haven’t talked about all the details, yet but I have been planning this for a while now.” He shot a warm smile in her direction. “So far I have three options for the venue and some possible dates and all that, but we wanted to enjoy the holidays and then start fresh in the new year to really get this thing together.”

His hand squeezed hers and her heart fluttered with excitement and thankfulness at his words. She was also a little surprised, truth be told, that he’d already started thinking about the next steps. Planning and organising a wedding were no small feat to master and they would need any bit of preparation they could get. She would ask him about the details later but wholly agreed with him on the statement that they wanted to enjoy the calm of the holidays before diving head-first into project wedding.

-

Yennefer gaped at the mountain of folders, spreadsheets, colour-coordinated files and concept planners. Apparently, _having some options and all that_ meant having channelled famous wedding planner Sharon Sacks. 

“Geralt, when did you do all this?”, she asked incredulously, her eyes wide in shock. 

“Remember that business trip a while back?”

She shuddered at the memories but nodded nonetheless. 

“I actually met up with Triss and she helped me plan all this. She had kept all these books and albums you two had put together as teenagers.”  
She wanted to be mad that he had gone behind her back on this and lied about being on a business trip when in fact he had been with Triss, but she couldn’t find it in her. He had gone to great lengths to ensure this would be as close to her dream wedding as it could possibly get and organised all the help available. If anyone knew what her dreams and fantasies looked like, it would be Triss. 

“This is….wow. This is crazy!” She beamed at him, reaching up to kiss him on the cheek. “But don’t you go visit some woman behind my back again”, she chided playfully, waving a finger in his face. 

He grinned his boyish smile and shrugged his shoulders. 

They dove right in after that but not before Yennefer had taken some time to reminisce at the old magazine cut-outs of wedding dresses and altar decorations she had collected as a thirteen-year-old. By the end of the first night they had managed to get a complete to-do list done, including a timeline and important deadlines for booking the venue, a DJ, and the actual ceremony.

After having visited several venue options, they decided on a beautiful old but renovated farmhouse with a big garden. It was the only one still free this year in late August, but it was also Yennefer’s favourite. The spacious lawn spanned acres of land; she could imagine the white tent already where they would receive their guests for the party. The ceremony would be held inside the former barn, the old wooden beams now painted white, big windows flooding the building with sunlight.   
Neither her nor Geralt had much to do with church and religion and so they decided on a ceremony for legal purposes only without a priest. It would be beautiful nonetheless and Yennefer was willing to bet her favourite pair of heels her mother would lose all control of her tear ducts anyway. 

They secured the booking right then and there, marking the to-do “venue” with a satisfying cross once back in the car. 

In the following weeks and months, bits and pieces came together and slowly but surely, the wedding was coming together. It wasn’t until Yennefer stood in a spacious changing room that was lined with a plush carpet and decorated with cream coloured shawls and a cute chaise to match that first doubts arose. Picking out a dress had been both the most anticipated and dreaded event in wedding planning for her and right now, the dread was winning the fight. 

When walking into the store she was dead-set on getting a princess gown with a heart shaped neckline and lots of tulle skirts as she had always imagined it to be like since she had been able to imagine her wedding but the more dresses the lovely assistant helped her into the less she liked herself. 

She had been laced into yet another one and stood in front of a giant mirror, her friend from work sitting on a couch next to the mirror, holding her phone in front of her so Triss could see the dress as well. “Oh my god this dress is so pretty!”, Sabrina swooned, her eyes glistening.

Yennefer gave it a twirl and looked at herself from every possible angle. 

“What do you think, Triss?”, she called into her phone.

“No, Yenna- What do you think?” Her voice sounded a little tinny though the phone speakers, but Yennefer could hear the scepticism just fine. 

When she didn’t answer right away, Triss did it for her. “Maybe try another kind of dress? This is the fourth gorgeous ball gown you’ve tried on but you’re looking at it like you would rather go in sweatpants.”

“Maybe you’re right.”, Yennefer released a sigh. As if on cue, the assistant marched in with a clothing rack full of dresses and the look on her face seemed to scream ‘finally! She’s realised that her dress will not be a ball gown.’

She followed her back to the changing room where she took the sales assistant’s advice to close her eyes until she was fully dressed and back in front of the mirror.

Lots of tiny clasps, zippers and wrestling with the fabric later, she was walking back out, guided by the hand of the woman that had helped her into it. 

“Now, open your eyes.” 

Yennefer could hear a gasp and noticed that it had come from her own mouth. 

The dress she wore was an artful array of lacey flowers, a deep neckline almost down to her navel and a softly flowing, figure-hugging satin and tulle skirt. The delicate shoulder straps revealed her collarbones and accentuated her slim neck. She carefully traced the design of the flowers from her breasts down to her waistline where the dress was cinched by an intricate belt made of tiny, shimmering rhinestones. When she turned around, she could see her long, black curls falling over her bare back, the fabric only covering her shoulder blades and re-joining mid-back. 

She tried hard to fight the tears at the sight and when she looked over to Sabrina, who was full-on crying, she knew she had found _the_ dress.

^^^^

He could feel his hands get sweaty and his heart pumped at a rate so fast, he thought it might jump out of his chest any moment now. He didn’t even know what he was nervous about; there was no place he’d rather be right now, never had he been surer about something like he was about marrying Yennefer. Now, that this would become reality his head spun with the effort of trying to catch up with his racing thoughts and emotional chaos. It seemed as if he’d been standing here in front of the altar for an eternity. He stared down the isle to the doors through which she would enter any minute now. 

“Psst, you ok, man?” 

He almost jumped out of his skin at the sound of Eskel’s whisper next to him. He gave a reassuring smile and nodded at his best man, then resumed staring at the last row of seats. He was honestly entertaining the idea that Yennefer could have gotten cold feet right, when right that second he heard the doors starting to squeak.

His eyes darted to the source of the noise and he swore the world stood still for a moment. Yennefer strode into the hall, her first few steps on the stone floors loud and clear like a gong. At the edge of the carpet that lined the aisle she stopped.   
Her eyes meeting his.

The room disappeared around him, the excited chatter that had erupted at Yennefer’s entrance blurred into the background as white noise. The light that fell in behind her appeared as a halo around her, her dark, inky curls a stark contrast to her light skin which her wedding dress made look like porcelain. 

He returned from the depths of her eyes at the sound of the wedding march, which had prompted Yennefer and her father to slowly walk down the aisle. Her eyes never left his and as she finally stood before him, he found it hard to breathe.

“Take good of her, will you, son?” 

He embraced Yen’s father and took her hand in his, her smile blinding. 

The rest of the ceremony went by in a blur; they both had to fight back their tears at each other’s vows, he only almost dropped the ring once and when he finally heard the magic words ‘you may now kiss the bride’ he dipped her low, his arms holding her safely, lips pressing to each other like they would never separate again. Shouts of joy and camera flashes erupted around them and they walked hand in hand towards the exit through an espalier of their friends and family. 

^^^^

Yennefer’s head was reeling, she couldn’t believe she was officially married to Geralt now. Her thumb kept caressing the ring on her finger and the glimmer of his kept catching her eye. As they made their way outside to the gardens and the party, she suddenly spotted a flash of colour that set her heart racing. She’d recognise this hair colour anywhere – but how was this possible?

They were moving down the line to where those red curls waited and sure enough, a joyfully screaming Triss bounced up and down, embracing her tightly. 

“Triss!! You are here. I can’t believe it” She tried very hard not to cry.

“I thought you couldn’t make it?”

Triss had finally stopped bouncing and smiled brightly at her, clutching her hand. “I know, but a certain someone made sure I wouldn’t miss this day” Her grin was now directed towards Geralt, who smirked unapologetically and shrugged his shoulders. “You look so beautiful, Yenna. Like a princess.”

She pulled Triss back into her arms and whispered in her ear:” I’m so glad you’re here. I haven’t seen you for way too long”.  
Triss returned her squeeze, then left the two alone again to get out of their hair for the speeches, cake cutting and the first dance. When Yennefer was finally able to catch up with her own thoughts again, she was leaning against the bar, a drink in hand, letting her eyes and mind wander.

Geralt was currently talking to Jaskier who was obviously letting out all the marriage jokes he had surely been collecting since receiving the invitation. Geralt feigned irritation but she could see that he was genuinely enjoying his presence. 

Generally, their guests seemed to be having a good time. The DJ was great and most of the people were dancing. As she observed the little groups, her eyes fell on Sabrina who was currently dancing with Triss. In her emotional overload earlier,   
she hadn’t really looked at Triss before, but now she had a chance to really soak her in. 

It had been a while since she’d last seen her in person and although she hadn’t changed a bit, Yennefer couldn’t deny that Triss looked almost radiant. Maybe a new boyfriend was the reason for her happiness. 

Even though her own hair had always earned her a few jealous stares it had been nothing in comparison to Triss’ mane of red locks. She had tamed them into a loose updo that was held in place by flowery pins that were of similar design as the flowers adorning the neckline and hem of her pine-green satin dress that accentuated her petite figure and her contradictory big bust she had always envied. Large, dangly earrings reflected the lights and her lips were painted in the colour of her hair. She looked stunning and if a new boyfriend wasn’t the reason for her happiness, she would surely not leave this party alone. 

She was so happy that she was able to share this day with her best friend and made her way over to dance with her like they had in clubs as teenagers.

^^^^

Geralt excused himself from the next round of shots Lambert had just proposed and instead decided to make a round through the guests to greet everyone he might have missed in the chaos and excitement. He came to a stop next to Triss who was currently fumbling with the neckline of her dress. He cleared his throat to announce himself and she jumped a little, dropping her hands.

“Oh, Geralt! You scared me there. Yenna is just in the bathroom right now.” She laughed, a little blush spreading on her cheeks as she realised what he had caught her doing. “I was just, well. You know.” 

“Not sure I do.” He grinned.

“Anyways, such a lovely party. I wonder who planned all this?” She tapped her chin dramatically, raising her eyebrows.

“One lovely lady who happens to be nominated for best friend of the year award.” He said, laying an arm around her shoulders and sweeping her into a tight embrace. “Thanks again, Triss. I couldn’t have done this without you.” He could feel her hands settle in the middle of his back, giving him a little squeeze. 

“Don’t worry about it.” Her voice was a little muffled against his chest. “I had a lot of fun helping you with this.”

When they separated again, he held at arm’s length and righted a curl of hair he had obviously messed up with his hug.

“So, Mr. most-dashing-groom-ever, do you happen to have a brother who’s single? Preferably one of the strong and silent type if you know what I mean.” She wriggled her eyebrows suggestively and Geralt took her by the hand to the dancefloor, looking for a certain brown-haired man that might happen to be just her type.

^^^^

Yennefer made her way over to the girls with a tray of shots and was welcomed by Sabrina with screams of excitement and swaying hips. Triss must have moved on and so she danced with Sabrina until their cheeks were red and the fine strands of hair clung wetly to their necks and she excused herself for some fresh air. 

Outside the tent she bumped into Eskel, who managed to hold her by the waist before she could trip over her dress. Now, that the cooled air of the evening hit her, she realised that she might be a little drunk. Giggling, she held on to him while she freed her heel from her hem.

“You alright?”, Eskel asked, smiling at her amused. 

“Yes, fine. Thanks for catching me.” She laughed. She had seen photos of Eskel before and Geralt had told her about the accident he’d had as a boy that had resulted in the scars on the left side of his face. They were all healed of course, but she felt a pang of sadness at the boy with the scarred face who surely had had to suffer much pain – physically and mentally. Through all of this he still had turned out to be a kind and honest guy and the scars gave him an air of danger she was sure many women found attractive. 

“Are you sure?”, he asked, his steel grey eyes framed by raised eyebrows. She had stared at him apparently, so she quickly righted herself. 

“Yes. I am. Thanks again.” Her hand squeezed his shoulder. “Listen, why don’t you meet me inside in a minute? I’d like to introduce you to someone.” She grinned conspiratorially and proceeded her way to clear her head a little. 

Around the corner she finally found who she was looking for; Geralt stood next to the tent, looking at the stars. She approached him as quietly as she could, but of course did he notice her right away.

“Hey” he said quietly, pulling her to him.

“You look so beautiful, Yen. I can’t believe I got to marry you.” 

She smiled warmly up at him and pressed her head into his chest, with care for her hair and make-up, and slung her arms around his neck. 

“I love you, Geralt. You make me so happy.” He hummed contentedly and let his hands fall around her waist. The music from the tent swirled around them as they slowly started to sway to the rhythm of George Michael’s ‘You have been loved’.   
Lost in themselves they rocked from side to side under the sparkle of the night sky and time seemed to stop for the pair, the feel of the other the only thing important in this world.

-

It was late, everyone was drunk, and the female part of the party was either barefoot or had been clever enough to bring a change of flats. Most of the people had already left in the last hour, each stopping by the newlyweds to say their congratulations again and to thank them for the lovely evening. Yennefer’s feet were nearing their breaking point as well and having worn the big dress and thousands of pins in her hair, her whole body was sore and tired. 

It had been such a fantastic wedding though; and although tired, she looked forward to the part that was still to come.

Her thoughts already in the confines of their bedroom, a shimmer of red caught her attention and brought her back to the present. Triss and Eskel swayed arm in arm in the direction of the hotel where most guests were staying, obviously drunk, giggling and flirting heavily. She nudged Geralt in the side and jerked her head in their direction, a knowing smirk on her face. He wriggled his eyebrows and smiled in kind - they would make a great pair. 

^^^^

Geralt couldn’t decide if he loved or hated her dress. It was beautiful and made her look ravishing but as he was now trying to get her out of it to indeed ravish her, the tiny little zipper, clasps and frilly bands that held it in place were driving him mad. He finally gave it up to try and open it while continuing to kiss her and broke the seal of their lips to turn her around and nibble his way from her jaw down her spine until he was kneeling behind her to get a good look and a precise grip on the mechanisms that would finally reveal her to him.

She laughed softly at his display of concentration and patiently stood still until the dress finally fell away and she could step out of it. He was back on his feet at an instant, his hands smoothing over her waist and back which had erupted in goosebumps. He sealed their lips back together and groaned softly in the back of his throat. She turned around and pressed herself to his chest while her hands went from playing with the hair at the nape of his neck down his arms, where she spent a second or two to appreciate the working muscle beneath the skin, before sliding his dinner jacket off his shoulders and started working on the buttons of his shirt. Reluctantly, he let go of her to quickly rid himself of his tie and socks, then continued his previous path up and down her body while she fought with his clothes. When he playfully bit her lobe, she yelped in surprise and he growled: “Hurry, Yen.”

She shuddered as his breath tickled the skin behind her ear and collected her last bit of concentration to get him out of his shirt and open his belt. As the clank of his belt buckle reached his ears, he picked her up by her rear, her legs slinging around his hips automatically, and carried her to the bed where he dropped her unceremoniously. She looked up at him, her necklace reflecting the low light and drawing his attention to her breasts. The way she lay there she looked like a goddess to him; like Venus herself. He swallowed hard, then focussed back on her eyes as he slowly slid his belt from his pants. 

Her gaze dropped low as he opened his trousers and slid them off, his erection straining against the fabric of his underwear. He thought he could almost smell her excitement as she beckoned him closer with a curl of her right index finger. He happily obliged and crawled on top of her, the feeling of skin on skin incredible. While his left forearm supported his weight next to her, his right hand wandered from her knee upwards, caressing the soft flesh of her thigh before hooking into the waistband of her string, sliding it off. She eagerly lifted her hips to help get the flimsy piece of fabric out of the way and threw her head back as his touch returned to her heated flesh, his fingers slowly easing their way through her wet folds. 

Geralt didn’t know how often they had slept together but this time as every single one before it seemed as if he was touching her for the first again and again, the sensations and sounds her body produced amazing him. The digits of his index and middle finger easily slid inside her, the sigh that escaped her lips like music to his ears. Now slick from her arousal, they glided out of her and began slow circles on her clit. 

She quickly grew restless and he made it a point to slow down until she would huff in frustration, before pushing her knees further apart and picking up the pace again. His mouth never left the soft skin of her neck while his fingers continued their relentless rounds but he could feel her tense up and so he lifted his head to watch her face as she fell over the edge. It was his favourite moment and every time she was granting him this view, he prayed to the gods this image would be burnt into his memories for eternity.

Yennefer seemed to have recovered from her orgasm already as she swiftly pushed against his right shoulder and he obediently fell over so she should straddle his lap. The feel of her slick heat against his still clothed cock felt amazing and he pulled her down into a searing kiss that was all teeth and tongue. Her hands were already venturing south and as she slipped her hand beneath his boxers and wrapped her fingers around him, he almost saw stars. He could tell she didn’t dare work him too fast, as he was already impossibly hard, precum leaking from the tip. Instead, she spread those beads around the head while ungraciously complementing him out of the piece of clothing that separated them. As soon as she had fulfilled that task she slid up over his length, took him in hand and sunk down in one swift motion. 

Fully seated, he pulled her down to him to hold her for a second as to not risk ending their wedding night too soon. When she started to wriggle her hips impatiently, he let her go and she straightened her spine and started sliding up and down in his lap. Their position gave him a fantastic view of what was happening, and he let her lead the way, his hands slightly guiding her hips and a soft thrust emphasising her movements.

When she couldn’t keep up with her own rhythm anymore, he sat up, wrapped an arm around her lower back to keep them connected and switched their positions, her now laying on her back with him on top. She had already pulled on knee close to her chest before he could do anything and so he simply focussed on the angle of his thrusts. The continuous stream of sounds that flowed from her mouth confirmed him in his actions and Geralt kept thrusting into her as deeply and strongly as he could. 

They both didn’t last long afterwards, his last bit of conscious effort going into achieving her orgasm first before he allowed himself to simply follow the call of her body.  
Geralt and Yennefer fell asleep quickly afterwards, limbs still entangled, sweaty and with no regards to the messy sheets. The only thing that mattered was each other’s presence and the feel of their cold wedding bands against heated skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link to dress: https://images.app.goo.gl/GzQhmA2vaTRy1wRm8 
> 
> Fun fact: Sharon Sacks is the wedding planner that organised Kim Kardashian’s weddings.  
> ________
> 
> Only one more chapter to go and then a short epilogue (which will both be posted on the same day)! Thank you for reading, commenting and all the kudos up until this point, I really appreciate it and every single e-mail notification makes me smile!


	11. CHAPTER NINE: Look Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to kleinehexe36 who kindly shared her brainstorming powers with me for this chapter. It helped me a lot in tying this last chapter together. 
> 
> Make sure to check out her stories!

The honeymoon had been two incredible weeks on the island of Kos off the Greek coast filled with wine, beach days, exploring ruins from the times of ancient Rome and lots of sex. They returned with a healthy tan and glowing cheeks, ready to conquer the world with love alone.

Life seemed to be easy and things fell into place. If they hadn’t been so happy, they would have gotten sick at the display of love and affection. Yennefer was slowly getting used to the ring on her finger, but she still beamed with pride when someone commented on it or when the conversation allowed it to drop the word ‘husband’. 

Geralt seemed to be equally eager, having made appointments with banks and insurance companies to change their status to married and when Yennefer came home with her new ID, he made love to her right then and there on the kitchen counter. 

As winter rolled around again, Yennefer and Geralt were in discussion about their housing situation; they agreed on wanting to buy something but couldn’t decide if they wanted a city apartment, a small house just outside of town or if they could afford to build a house themselves. Each option had its advantages and disadvantages and therefore, it was still the centre of conversation when they found themselves yet again at the dinner table at Yennefer’s parents’ house between Christmas and New Year’s.

They had picked up the discussion because Geralt had received an e-mail with a new offer for a semi-detached house in a nice neighbourhood. It had been Yennefer’s mother who had dropped the second shoe of the string of arguments, that both Geralt and Yennefer had been dreading the whole time.

“Why would you consider an apartment or such a tiny house? You’ll grow out of it as soon as you’ll have kids!”

Geralt felt time slow down as soon as the words had left her mouth, his eyes instantly drifting to Yennefer. He could tell she was fighting like a bear to keep her emotions in check, but she was barely hanging on. He didn’t want to lie to his in-laws, but this wasn’t his place to tell. He opted for evasion.

“We can still sell and buy something new should the need arise, but we’re so busy with our jobs that this wasn’t relevant yet.”

His hand was being crushed under the table by her iron grip and he felt himself brabble to fill the awkward silence. 

“I mean Yen is very close to the end of her residency and my boss hinted at a promotion for me, so who knows what lies ahead in the future?”

“Yes, dear. But buying a house is a long-term decision, why not take into consideration that you’ll need a bigger place sooner or later?”

He cringed inwardly. Why wasn’t she dropping this?

“Maybe we don’t want any kids, mum.” Yennefer’s voice was icy and dripping with hurt and anger. What exactly she was angry about, Geralt couldn’t tell. It hadn’t been her mother’s intention to poke around in this wound since they had never talk about ‘the incident’ as Yennefer liked to call the possibly worst day of their lives.  
He figured It was either rage or breaking down in tears and knowing his Yen, she would of course try to keep up the façade. 

Her mother was seriously shocked at her daughter’s harsh tone and even her father had stopped eating, glancing wearily between his wife and his daughter. Geralt let out a shaky breath; the air was so thick with tension he could almost cut it. He had no idea how to defuse the situation, so he chose silence. 

“Sorry, I don’t feel well.” Yennefer then said, dropping her napkin on her plate and standing up. “We should go home. Merry Christmas.” 

Her tone left no room for argument so Geralt got up as well, throwing an apologetic glance over the table before walking out the door; the food still steaming, his stomach hungry but sick with a mixture of emotions he couldn’t name.

The ride home had been completely silent, Yennefer had stared out the window and Geralt hadn’t dared start a conversation. Each topic had seemed either silly for avoiding the elephant in the room or too touchy given the truckload of emotional shit that was occupying them both.

To be honest, Geralt had wanted to bring up the topic of children many times since that day the doctor had told Yennefer she had never been pregnant but felt like it had to be Yennefer to breach the topic. He had taken it as a sign of rawness and unhealed psychological wounds that she had never brought it up again and today had proven him right. He wondered why she was still so touchy about it, though. The doctor had told them that it was unlikely that Yennefer could get pregnant and it had been heart-breaking, true, but there were still so many options, so many chances to become parents, nevertheless. Then again, as a man he probably couldn’t understand what it meant to not be able to bear children. 

^^^^

Yennefer felt sick to her stomach. She was aware that her mother couldn’t have known what can of worms she had opened there but it didn’t change the fact that she wanted to throw up from the anxiety that was currently raging inside of her. 

She had avoided the topic like the plague, despite knowing very well that it would come up sooner or later anyway. If she couldn’t have children, then she had to make peace with this fact. A lot of couples couldn’t conceive, it was not the end of the world. Except for when she had seen that little line on the test a small sapling of longing had started growing in her heart. After the initial shock she had grown excited for the journey of motherhood and when the doctor had trampled that sapling, all feelings attached to children had turned sour. Geralt had thankfully never brought the conversation back to children but she had a feeling this would change now. 

She wanted to crawl under a rock and never come out again.

-

“Yen?”, she could hear him quietly call her name from outside the bedroom, but she pretended to be asleep. She couldn’t face the argument that was sure to follow  
and preferred her cocoon of denial and avoidance. 

“Yen, I know you’re awake” He was standing in front of the bed now. ‘Shit’

“I don’t want to talk about it, Geralt”, she murmured, the duvet up to her chin, her back turned to him. 

“But I do. And I’ll go insane if we keep beating around the bush.”

She sighed loudly. 

“My feelings count too, Yen.” He used _that_ voice. The voice she had never heard him use with anyone else. The voice of true vulnerability. She couldn’t ignore him.

She sat up and turned around. “I know. But it really hurts, Geralt. If I talk about it, it becomes reality again and I have to face it.”

“If you never face it, you’ll never heal.” He was right there, but she didn’t want to admit it. Avoidance was easier.

“I know what the doctor said. I know she used the term ‘unlikely’. But unlikely doesn’t mean impossible, Yen. We can’t know if we just give up trying.”

She wanted to cry and never stop. “She used the words ‘highly unlikely’ if I remember correctly. Which basically means impossible. Every single month I am reminded of the fact that she is right. It’s a painful and underwear-staining reminder that I’m not pregnant.” Her voice was trembling, but she refused to give in to her tears.

“Conception doesn’t happen the first time you try, Yen. That’s normal. A lot of couples have trouble conceiving. It just takes some time. Some more than others.” 

“Don’t give me that bullshit, Geralt.” She blew air through her noise in annoyance. Anger had taken over now, trying to cover up what she was really feeling.

“What bullshit, exactly?” He was angry now as well, matching her energy. “The bullshit of hope? Of reasonable hope in achieving a result by putting in effort?”

She couldn’t argue with the logic that one couldn’t get pregnant if they never tried but instead of agreeing with him, she crossed her hands in front of her chest and turned up her nose.

“Yen.” His voice was soft again, a hand caressing her thigh. “I don’t want to fight about this. All I am asking is that we please try a little more.”

She deflated, his open mind and heart effectively disarming her. 

“Fine”, she sighed. “We’ll try again. But I’m not sure how many tries I have in me.” 

“We’ll work it out. We always do.”

He pressed a kiss to her forehead and closed the door behind him, leaving her to the darkness of the bedroom and the abyss of her thoughts. 

^^^^

Geralt was determined to make this work. He spent hours researching on the internet, his reading list ever-growing. He wouldn’t leave it to chance but instead use every single study and statistic available. He considered rituals and even prayers but decided he would start by proposing tracking her cycle to make sure they’d maximise their chances.

It was hard; seriously trying for a child meant sex when biology dictated it, Geralt had to keep his hands off himself and Yennefer had passed a ban on caffeine, alcohol, raw fish and junk food for them both.

The hardest by far however, was when Yennefer disappeared behind the bathroom door, only to emerge three minutes later with a look on her face that varied from wrath to defeat. Geralt would hold her tightly then, enduring her tears and the pounding of her fists born from frustration, hurt and helplessness. 

Geralt had started looking into IVF and the prerequisites for adoption but when Yennefer had found the brochures, she had been livid. 

“I don’t want to be prodded and injected like some lab rat, Geralt!”, she had screamed, throwing the papers in the bin. “Not to mention it costs an arm and a leg and for what? That I can become a walking petri dish? No thanks!” That had been the end of the discussion.

Why she was so averse to adoption however, she never addressed directly. He figured to her it was all or nothing. He decided not to confront her about it.

The months went by in a rollercoaster of hope and disappointment and both Geralt and Yennefer were walking on their last legs. Neither of them wanting to lose hope, yet both fighting to not getting it up too much. It was supposed to be a magical part of life, but it started to feel like a chore.

-

The emotional strain was taking its toll on Geralt. Apart from the times they would sleep together around her ovulation, he found he didn’t care very much for intimacy. Sex with Yennefer had become a means to an end and the end wasn’t in sight. 

He couldn’t say all passion had died, though, as they regularly fought with a vigour that claimed many plates in its way. It was the usual things; household tasks, working overtime, and everything else unimportant. They weren’t stupid; both were very well aware of the fact that these topics were simply a substitution for the real issue; they had been trying for over a year now, and Yennefer was still not pregnant, yet kept refusing the idea of IVF or adoption.

Geralt was sitting at his desk, his eyes on the computer screen but his mind blank and let out unconscious sigh after the other. 

Finally, his boss snapped. “Gods damnit, Geralt. Spill it. I don’t think I’ll survive it if I have to see you sulking away for a second longer.”

He looked up, his boss’ face a mixture of annoyance and traces of genuine concern.

“Just some…personal issues. I’ll handle it. Actually, do you mind if I take the rest of the week off?”

^^^^

She could feel herself grow bitter with disappointment. She wished they had never tried again because these past months had been sucking the life out of her. She felt so inadequate, incomplete and she hated herself for these thoughts. She was smart, funny, witty, beautiful, accomplished and still she allowed herself to wallow in self-pity at the prospect that she was biologically broken. She didn’t want to define herself by her disability to bear children but everywhere she looked, exactly this  
fact seemed to be staring her in the face.

Pregnant women on every corner, kids screaming in the park, families in the waiting room at the hospital and these stupid television commercials for highly accurate pregnancy tests – procreation seemed to be the prominent topic on not only her mind, but everyone’s. 

The frustration turned into a notoriously bad mood, which worsened the closer she came to her ovulation. The deed they acted out had hardly anything to do with making love, or even a simple romp, it was a mechanical execution of movements. She seemed to drift away, mentally, and she could tell Geralt felt the same way. 

Neither of them talked about it. Voicing their doubts would be admitting the defeat.

-

His business trips had increased in duration and frequency and she was sure Geralt would soon get the promotion he had been talking about for months. She was happy for him; he loved his job and put so much effort into it. Even though she missed him dearly, the moments when she was home alone and could drop the mask she had been putting on; she felt a relief of sorts. 

-

He had come home from another trip when they sat at the dinner table together. Yennefer had made a casserole and opened a bottle of wine. She was in a good mood today and was looking forward to spending the evening together. 

“How was your trip?”

“Fine.” He dug into his food.

“Where did you go again? I’ve lost overview”

“Uhm Chicago. I told you last week, remember?” He sounded a little irritated.

“Right, I must have forgotten.” An awkward silence followed; Yennefer wasn’t sure if she should leave the conversation at that. Geralt didn’t seem in the mood to talk.

“Speaking of Chicago, I was thinking about visiting Triss for a few days. I haven’t seen her since the wedding.” 

“Sure. Do you know when you’re going?” 

“No, I was just thinking aloud. I haven’t even called her yet. I just know that she got a new job and I wanted to check in if anything became of her and Eskel. You  
know? Since they left the wedding together. Have you heard anything about that?”

“Not really. We don’t talk about those things. Anyway, let me know when you have a date, ok?”

“Is everything alright, Geralt? You’re kind of weird.” 

“I’m just tired, Yen. Can I please eat and go to sleep? We’ll talk tomorrow ok?”

“Oh, ok.” She was disappointed but could understand he was drained after the flight. The conversation died completely and when she sat down in front of the TV he went straight to bed.

The next morning, he was already gone when she woke up. She would have a late shift today and he had sneaked out to not wake her. It was a sweet thought but after last night’s non-existent conversation she wouldn’t have minded to gotten up with early. Maybe he’d still be up when she came home tonight. They could have a talk then.

-

It was the weekend, and Yennefer was off work as well. It was a rare occurrence and since the weather was nice, they decided to get coffee in a near-by café. It was a little way to walk but instead of enjoying the surroundings, Geralt seemed to be glued to his phone.

“It’s the weekend, Geralt. Can’t these e-mails wait until Monday?” Her tone left no room for interpretation; he better put his phone away now or face the consequences.

“Relax, I’m almost done, ok?” He hadn’t even looked up. Yennefer was now positively fuming. ‘Relax?’, she thought. ‘He’s going to regret that choice of words.’ 

She huffed and aggressively shoved her hands in her pockets for the rest of the way. When they entered the coffee shop her glance at the counter provided her opportunity for revenge. It was time for Geralt to get a taste of his own medicine. 

The guy behind the counter was almost as tall as Geralt and had blonde hair that was wild and messy on top and shaven on the sides of his head. She guessed he was just about twenty and had an air of unshakable confidence when it came to charm the female population. Perfect.  
“Hello gorgeous, what can I get you today?”

Without fault he played into her scheme.

“Oh my.” She looked up into his eyes through coquettishly lowered lashes and did her best to force a blush on her cheeks. Thank god for the cold wind today. “Why  
don’t you surprise me? I’m sure you’ll know what I like.” 

She was laying it on thick and it was almost embarrassing but _Johnny_ didn’t seem to mind and gifted her his brightest smile. She glanced at Geralt, but he was either oblivious or hadn’t caught on to the situation. 

She snatched the drink out of Johnny’s hand and strode over to the next free table, leaving the surprised barista behind. Geralt followed soon after her, never mentioning what had just transpired.

^^^^^

Yennefer couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. Her usually strong-and-silent-type husband was through a series of highs and lows lately, his mood swinging worse than a horde of PMS-ing teenagers. She had tried talking to Triss about it but her new job was consuming her, and they hadn’t had the chance to talk at length to her.

Even in the phases of his good mood she never managed to hold a conversation; whenever she tried to direct it to his behaviour, he promptly changed the topic. She would feel unease pull at her stomach, but she tried to suffocate that feeling, dismissing it as simple and unreasonable jealousy. She didn’t even know who or what she would even be jealous of.

Three weeks and two business trips later she had found a pattern in his mood swings; as the next trip drew closer his mood seemed to get worse, followed by absolute no communication during his absence and then being a bundle of happiness and devotion to her in the days after he returned home. As he was packing for his flight to Michigan the next day, she made sure to avoid him entirely.

^^^^

Geralt was in an excellent mood today. Traffic from the airport to the office had been pleasantly little, the sun was shining, and he’d had a delicious breakfast burrito. He hummed on his way to the kitchen to get a coffee and even complimented Margaret from Supply Chain on her new, most hideous knitted sweater she had ever donned. 

On his way home he sang along to the radio and got going on all the chores he had been putting off forever. He had gotten groceries, taken the trash out and washed the floors, then started to get dinner going. Yennefer would be pleasantly surprised, and he felt like he owed her a break. 

She was indeed when she came home, kicking her shoes off and curiously sniffing the air as she walked over the threshold. 

“Did you cook?” The pitch at the end of her sentence stung a little. She was a little too surprised he cooked something.

“Yes, and I washed the floors today as well. So if you-“, he trailed off and motioned to her shoes which she had left there next to the door. 

“Sure! Sorry”, she quickly picked up her shoes and set them down on the doormat.

Dinner went by uneventfully; light conversation accompanied the food. When Yennefer got going on clearing the table, Geralt threw her out of the kitchen and sent her to the couch with a glass of wine. He let her choose the movie and they cuddled until they went to bed.

He could her toss and turn, closing the space between them. Her hands wandered across his chest and her breath fanned over his neck. He knew where this was going, so he took her hand firmly in his and held her to him, making a point to breathe as loudly and evenly as he could. She soon pulled her hand from his grip and rolled over, her breathing evening out eventually.

^^^^

“Gods damnit!” Yennefer cursed loudly, swatting at the heap of flour that just erupted on her, attempting to minimise the staining. She had wanted to quickly whip up some pancakes but found herself to be extraordinarily clumsy today. 

She left the mixing bowl where it was and went over to the bedroom to get a new shirt. She could hear the rushing of water through the open bathroom door as she rummaged through her drawers in search for a particular top, when her attention caught on a light blue chemise. She hadn’t seen that one in ages, had just been looking for it last month again and now there it was. Yennefer let her fingers wander the soft material. It must have been about a year ago that she’d seen it last, because, she suddenly remembered, she had lent it to –

The shrill ringing of a phone shook her from her thoughts. It took her a second to conclude that this must be Geralt’s work phone, that’s why she hadn’t recognised the ring tone. 

“Geralt? Your phone’s ringing.” She shouted in the general direction of the bathroom.

No answer. 

She wasn’t his secretary so instead of going to the bath to tell him again, she walked over to the coffee table where the phone was ringing and vibrating without pause. Should she just answer it? It didn’t seem like the caller would give up soon. What would she even say? Geralt was very particular about his work calls, answering every single one of them no matter the day and hour and he usually left the room to take the call. He had said something about an important deal he was currently working on and she didn’t want him looking unprofessional by taking the call.

Her hand extended without her permission and she turned it over, revealing the info that _Unknown Caller ID _was currently waiting for an answer.  
She pressed the green symbol and held it to her ear. There were a lot of background noises, most likely a busy street. Then:__

__“Hello? Geralt?”_ _

__She quickly hung up. What was she thinking taking his calls? Which of his co-workers would call him by his first name though? The voice had definitely been familiar; feminine and friendly, but she couldn’t place it. She only had been at the annual Christmas office party with him, there was no way she could remember the person to that voice._ _

__As she put down the phone, she noticed Geralt standing in the door, still wet, a towel around his hips._ _

__“Did you answer my phone?” He sounded angry._ _

__“It kept ringing and I thought-“_ _

__“Well, don’t.” He snatched it out of her hand and turned on his heel, marching back into the bathroom. She could hear the door slamming shut. Stunned, she stood there, rooted to the spot._ _

__He had later apologised for his outbreak, but this incident had shaken her to the core. Why was it such a big deal? She hadn’t even said anything, and the caller had hung up. They’d call back eventually._ _

__Geralt became even more rigid in his habit of taking calls outside, glued to his phone as not to miss any calls. Yennefer had a bad feeling about this. She hoped, he hadn’t gotten in trouble over this phone call, but she didn’t want to ask and risk another fight._ _

__About a week later, it was a Thursday afternoon, Yennefer lay on the couch and took a nap. She could hear Geralt rustle around in the room next door as she slowly woke up. He must have left the door open because the sound of a phone vibrating on a hard surface sounded loudly in the quiet room._ _

__“Hello?” Geralt had answered the phone immediately._ _

__“Oh hi, it’s you.” She couldn’t hear the voice on the other side of the line but the way his voice changed clearly told of someone Geralt liked._ _

__“No, I can talk. She’s sleeping next door.” That sentence caught her attention and she could feel her heart rate picking up. She forced herself to lay still and calm herself as to not miss his next words._ _

__“I know. Me too.” Silence as he waited for the other to speak. “I can come in two weeks. I could even stay the weekend. I have some business close by on Friday, but I could tell her it’s a dinner and I can’t take the evening flight.”_ _

__Her chest tightened nastily, and she could feel tears stinging behind her eyes. There was no other option: Geralt had an affair and he was camouflaging it as work trips. She wondered who the other woman was. Most likely someone from work, that would explain why he was so obsessed with work, the business trips and his work phone all the time. She contemplated what to do now._ _

__She really only had two options; pretending she was still sleeping and hope that this would just be a temporary adventure he had to do or confront him. It would obviously be the latter; otherwise she wouldn’t be able to ever look at herself in the mirror again. She would not sit by and watch her husband fuck someone else while she played pretend. Her blood was boiling now, and she had to force herself to focus. There was no use in storming the room hysterically, tears streaming down her face. She had to use this tactical advantage he had given her. Pretentious bastard, she thought. You simply got too comfortable and let your cover slip._ _

__That made her wonder how long this was already going on, but she pushed that thought back for now. She would get all the answers sooner or later. He was about to confess on his knees or find somewhere else to sleep tonight._ _

__As silently as possible she pushed the blanket off her and stood up, tightening her ponytail as if in preparation. He was still talking when she reached the door frame and took a final last breath before pushing open the door._ _

__As it swung open, he froze with the phone mid-air, his eyes blown wide as they met hers. He knew she heard him, and she could see the gears turning in his head._ _

__“How long have you been awake?”_ _

__“That’s the first thing you’re asking? Wondering if I heard you talking to your side bitch or not?!”_ _

__“Yen, please calm down and let me explain.”_ _

__“Calm down? You did not just tell me to clam down. What the fuck, Geralt? How long has this been going on?”_ _

__She could see him think about his answer and cut in immediately: “Who is she, Geralt. Someone from work? That girl with the blonde curls I met at the last office party? Why are you not answering? Spill it! You owe me truth!”_ _

__“It’s Triss, ok?!” He shouted._ _

__She stared at him, dumbstruck with her mouth hanging open. She felt like she might faint._ _

__How could she not have recognised her voice on the phone last week? There had been a lot of noise in the background, true and maybe she would have never imagined it to be Triss._ _

__Yennefer couldn’t believe he would do this to her. Her hands shook, her head swam, and she could feel bile rise in her throat. Yennefer was starting to feel sick, couldn’t decide whether she wanted to cry or to scream. All the time they’ve been together, the hardships they faced and happiness they experienced. All the love, pain, passion, sorrow and deep connection they shared – thrown away._ _

__She knew it hadn’t been all peachy the last months, but the betrayal cut so deep it almost caused physical pain. In times where they needed each other the most, when they had to count on each other, he let her down in a way so despicable she hadn’t thought possible._ _

__“How long?” She hated the tears that had escaped the corners of her eyes._ _

__“A few weeks.” He seemed to have realised that he wasn’t getting out of this._ _

__“Why did you do this? How could you, Geralt?” Her voice was quieter than she wanted it to be but anger and hurt threatened to break her voice._ _

__“You know it’s not been easy lately. Since some time ago, actually. All we do is fight, you are always angry or sad and withdraw yourself completely. It’s like I’m married to the shell of the woman I once knew.”_ _

__“You know who hadn’t had it easy lately? Me too! That constant baby talk makes me sick. Why couldn’t you have just let it be? Why talk me into prolonging that torture? Was I never enough?”_ _

__Her voice was breaking, tears now running freely. They helped keep her mind clear._ _

__“You agreed to try again! It’s not like I forced you”_ _

__“You kinda did!” She had her voice back and was using it full force._ _

__Geralt acted like an animal with its back to the wall; he was lashing out. She could see guilt shine in his eyes but it was mixed with pent up frustration and his voice was tinted with desperation._ _

__“That’s bullshit and you know it! This is not all about a baby! This is not all about you, the world doesn’t revolve around you, Yen!”_ _

__“So, it’s about you, then? Please, enlighten me!”_ _

__“I am also part of this relationship! I am my own person, I too am sad, happy, frustrated, exhausted, in love, excited and I want my significant other to share these feelings with me. I exist outside of the role of your husband, Yen. It is not my job to always cater to your every need. Sometimes it’s nice to be the next in line, to be taken care of.”_ _

__“That’s why you ran into Triss’ arms? To be taken care of? Please! What a pathetic excuse.”_ _

__“Triss is a wonderful person! She actually likes to give in return.”_ _

__“It’s always easy when you’re not around each other 24/7. Triss can be just as much a bitch as everyone else.”_ _

__“Contrarily to your belief we didn’t just fuck, Yen. We talked. A lot. That’s how it started, actually. If you want to know. She understands me.”_ _

__“What does she understand? That you need your ego stroked constantly? That you need someone to clean up after you? What pain it causes to not be able to perform the job given to you by nature?”_ _

__“She understands what it’s like to spend a lot of time with you and what a nightmare you can be sometimes!”_ _

__This verbal blow hit her hard. She had to take a breath to catch up with what he had just said._ _

__Maybe it was for the best they hadn’t been able to have a child – or would this have happened if they had been able? It was a meek point; nothing could change the past. At any rate, she was glad that at least not a third person would be involved in this mess._ _

__“Do you love her?” She had been quiet for a few seconds and the eerily calm way she had asked the question seemed to catch him off guard._ _

__“Look Yen. I am sorry. I know this wasn’t fair of me and I shouldn’t have done it. I can’t take it back now, but we can work this out.”_ _

__“Because we always do?” That’s what he would say every time they faced a challenge. “It doesn’t matter, Geralt. This time there’s nothing to work out anymore.”_ _

__Her thoughts circled back to the moment they had first met, their first date, the first fight, the first time making up. Their relationship had had its ups and downs but wasn’t that normal? She thought it was. Everyone fought about things, it showed that they cared about each other enough to try and work out differences. She surely had played her part in this disaster as well but this…this was something she could never forgive._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that Yennefer's aversion to adoption isn't really canon conform but otherwise I had to work around that plotline, so please ignore this.
> 
> The chapter title is a reference to the series "Working Moms", in which the main character catches her husband red-handed. The acting was fantastic in that episode and it actually inspired me to write this story.


	12. Epilogue

So, to sum it all up; there had not been a point where everything had gone to shit. It had been hundreds of situations, hurt feelings, regrettable words, unfair arguments, and the knowledge of how to break the person you had once loved so dearly. Ironically, she thought, this much pain couldn’t have been inflicted by someone she barely knew. 

In order to break her this way there had to have been a connection between them so deep that only the love they had once shared was the reason her heart now felt like a thousand glass splinters, tearing through her body. 

He must have known what this would do to her, would do to them. 

It was unfair to lay the blame solely at his feet but alas - 

Love is ugly, even in times of happiness, and it seems they hadn’t been ready for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, that's the end. I hope you enjoyed reading this story, I am so very glad you stuck around this long and thank you for every kudos and comment you left.
> 
> Maybe next time they'll get a happy end?


End file.
